'What! who have we here?' exclaimed Preston, as he turned away from the negroes, and stepped up on the piazza.
'Why, Robert, it's Selly—don't you know your own child?'
Preston took the little girl in his arms, and said:
'It's like you, Lucy. No man ever had a wife like mine, Kirke.'
'No one but Mr. Kirke himself, you mean, Robert,' replied the lady, smiling; then she added:
'Selly has been in Newbern for a time, Mr. Preston did not expect to find her at home.'
We entered the house, and took seats in the drawing room to await dinner. We had not been there long, when 'Master Joe' burst into the apartment, and rushing up to me, exclaimed:
'Come, Mr. Kirke, Joe is outside; he wants to see you—come.'
'Tell Joe to wait; don't disturb Mr. Kirke now,' said his father,
'Oh no, Preston; let me see him at once;' and rising, I followed the lad from the room.