Daph had to set the children down on the steps, and fumble in her bosom for the captain’s precious note. She drew it at last from its hiding-place, and handed it triumphantly to the young porteress, saying, “Dis is what’ll tell you who we are, and what we wants.” The little girl looked at the note with a puzzled expression, and then calmly walked away, down the narrow hall, without saying a word. Daph sat down on the door-step, and took the children on her lap, with a kind of faith that all would go well, which made her feel quite easy. She was making the children laugh at a playful pig, that was running up and down the street, when angry tones from within met her ear, and she caught the following words:
“Take a negro for a lodger! I shall do no such thing! Who does Captain Jones think I am!”
“Mother,” said a calm young voice, “you know we shall be behind with the rent, and then, the children are white; one of them is the whitest child I ever saw.”
“The rent, yes, that is a bad business. Well, I suppose I must come to it! What one does have to put up with in this world! Show the woman in!”
Daph, who had heard the whole conversation quite plainly, rose at the last words, and was ready to accept the invitation to walk into the back room, which she immediately received.
Daph made a polite courtesy to the sour-looking little woman, who seemed hardly strong enough to have spoken in the loud, harsh tones which had just been heard.
“So Captain Jones sent you here!” said the woman, somewhat tartly, as she eyed the odd-looking party.
Daph had taken off the shawl from Louise, and set Charlie on his feet, that the children might appear to the best advantage; she stood proudly between them, as she said, “I wants to hire a room for my missus’s children. We’s been ’bliged to come north this summer, and will have to look out a bit for ourselves, as massa could n’t come wid us.”
“Daphne,” said the woman, sweetening a little, “Captain Jones says that is your name, and that you are an honest industrious woman? Do you think you will be able to pay the rent, regularly?”
“I has a right to my name,” said Daph, straightening up her stout figure. “Missus had it gib to me, like any white folks, when she had me baptised. I isn’t particler about having all of it, so most folks calls me Daph. Is I honest? Look me in de eye, and answer dat yeself. Is I industrious? Look at dat arm, and dese ere fingers; do dey look like if I was lazy?”