“What is it?  Where are we?” she said, pressing her hands to her forehead.

Evidently the place did not impress her, except as something strange.

“Let’s go!” she whispered to Eloise.  “We’ve nothing to do here; let’s go back to the oranges and palmettos.”

“But, mother, Jakey is here!” Eloise replied, her eyes fixed upon the old man to whom Mr. Mason had been explaining, and whose “Bress de Lawd.  I feels like havin’ de pow’, ef I b’lieved in it,” she heard distinctly.

Then he came rapidly toward them, and she could see the tears on his black face, which was working nervously.

“Miss Dory!  Miss Dory!  ’Tain’t you!  Oh, de Lawd,—­so growed,—­so changed!  Is it you for shu’?” he said, stretching his hands toward Amy, who drew closer to Eloise.

“Go gently, Jake; gently!  Remember her mind is weak,” Mr. Mason said.

“Yes, sar.  I ’members de Harris’s mind mostly was weak.  Ole Miss didn’t know nuffin’, an’ Miss Dory was a little quar, an’ dis po’ chile is like ’em,” was Jake’s reply, which brought a deep flush to Eloise’s face.

She had felt her cheeks burning all the time she had been looking round on her mother’s home, wondering what Jack would think of it.  At Jake’s mention of the Harrises she glanced at him so appealingly, that for answer he put his arm around her and whispered, “Keep up, darling, I see your mother is waking up.”

Jake had taken one of her hands, and was looking in her face as if he would find some trace of the “lil chile Dory” who left him years ago.  And she was scanning him, not quite as if she knew him, but with a puzzled, uncertain manner, in which there was now no fear.

“Doan’ you know me, Miss Dory?  I’m Shaky,—­ole Shaky,—­what use’ to play b’ar wid you, an’ tote you on his back,” he said to her.

“I think I do.  Yes.  Where’s Mandy Ann?” Amy asked.

“She ’members,—­she does!” Jake cried, excitedly.  “Mandy Ann was de nuss girl what looked after her an’ ole Miss.”  Then to Amy he said, “Mandy Ann’s done grow’d like you, an’ got chillen as big as you.  Twins, four on ’em, as was christened in your gown.  Come into de house.  You’ll member then.  Come inter de gret room, but fust wait a minit.  I seen a boy out dar,—­Aaron,—­one of Mandy Ann’s twins, an’ I’se gwine to sen’ for Mandy Ann.

“Hello, you flat-footed chap!” he called.  “Make tracks home the fastest you ever did, an’ tell yer mother to come quick, ’case lil Miss Dory’s hyar.  Run, I say.”

The boy Aaron started, and Jake led the way to the door of the “gret room,” which he threw open with an air of pride.

“Walk in, gemmen an’ ladies, walk in,” he said, holding Amy’s hand.

They walked in, and he led Amy to a lounge and sat down beside her, close to the red cradle, to which he called her attention.

“Doan’ you ‘member it, Miss Dory?” he said, giving it a jog.  “I use’ ter rock yer to sleep wid you kickin’ yer heels an’ doublin’ yer fists, an’ callin’ me ole fool, an’ I singin’: