“Cause, cause,” said Daph, “cause de great Lord tinks it best.”
The face of little Louise instantly took a sobered and submissive expression, and she said quietly, “Well, Daffy, Lou will try to be a good girl; where’s Dinah?”
“I’se to be nurse now, Miss Lou,” answered Daph, promptly.
“Oh! how nice! No cross Dinah any more!” exclaimed the little girl, clapping her hands with very great delight.
Charlie thought proper to clap his hands, too, and to cry out, boisterously, “Caky! caky!”—a cry which Daph well understood, and for which she was amply prepared.
She drew from one of her huge pockets some cakes for the children, and then they all three began to chat as pleasantly as if they were at their favorite resort, under the old tree that grew in front of Daph’s southern kitchen.
Daph found it a difficult business to dress her young master and mistress, but Louise was a helpful little creature, and was of great assistance in enabling the new nurse to select the suitable garments, from the store that had been hastily thrust into the great basket.
It was an easy matter to comb Louise’s soft, straight golden hair off her fair forehead, but it was another thing to deal with master Charlie’s mop of short, chestnut curls. The new bond between Daph and the sturdy boy had well nigh been broken, by the smart pulls she gave, in the course of her unskilful efforts.
When Captain Jones came into the cabin after his usual round on deck, in the morning, he was greeted by the sound of merry young voices, which struck strangely on his ear.
Daph gave one peep from the state-room, to be sure who was near at hand, and then leading out the children, she bade them “go right to the very kindest gentleman that anybody ever had for a friend.”