"
"Surely, sir,--surely," the dark lady continued; "Follow me, sir; and
dat small gentleman [Thomas Cringle, Esquire, no less!]--him will
better follow me too."
We left the room, and turning to the right, landed in the lower piazza
of the house, fronting the north. A large clumsy stair occupied the
eastermost end, with a massive mahogany balustrade, but the whole
affair below was very ill lighted. The brown lady preceded us; and,
planting herself at the bottom of the staircase, began to shout to some
one above--
"Toby!--Toby!--buccra gentlemen arrive, Toby." But no Toby responded
to the call.
"My dear madam," said Treenail, "I have little time for ceremony. Pray
usher us up into Mr. ------'s presence."
"Den follow me, gentlemen, please."
Forthwith we all ascended the dark staircase until we reached the first
landing-place, when we heard a noise as of two negroes wrangling on the
steps above us.
"You rascal!" sang out one, "take dat; larn you for teal my
wittal!"--then a sharp crack, as if he had smote the culprit across the
pate; whereupon, like a shot, a black fellow, in a handsome livery,
trundled down, pursued by another servant with a large silver ladle in
his hand, with which he was belabouring the fugitive over his
flint-hard skull, right against our hostess, with the drumstick of a
turkey in his hand, or rather in his mouth.
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