Tempest and Sunshine

The first three weeks of Julia's stay in New Orleans were, as we have

learned, spent at the house of Dr. Lacey. His mother was present, and

although she readily acknowledged the uncommon beauty of her fair visitor,

yet from the first she disliked her.

The servants, too, as if adopting the opinion of their mistress, felt and

expressed among themselves an aversion to the "evil-eyed lady," as they

termed Julia. Aunt Dilsey, in particular, soon had her own reason for

disliking her. The second day after Julia's arrival, as she was strolling

through the yard, she encountered Jackson, a bright little fellow, three

years of age, and Aunt Dilsey's only son. Jack, as he was usually called,

was amusing himself by seeing how far he could spit! Unfortunately he spit

too far, and hit Miss Julia's pink muslin. In an instant her white,

slender fingers were buried in his wool. His screams soon brought Aunt

Dilsey to the rescue. Upon learning the dreadful crime of which Jack had

been guilty, she snatched him from Julia's grasp, and hurried him into the

house without a word. From that time Dilsey was Julia's sworn enemy, and

Jack was taught to make up faces at her, whenever he could do so without

being discovered.

The servants, however, were too well trained to manifest any open

disrespect, for they knew she was "marster's guest," and as such was

entitled to every possible attention.

When first she arrived Dr. Lacey felt exceedingly uncomfortable, for her

presence constantly reminded him of the past, and his reminiscences of

Julia were not particularly pleasant. Gradually this feeling wore away,

for she appeared greatly changed. There was a softness, a gentleness, in

her manner, which seemed to Dr. Lacey like Fanny, and then her voice, too,

was so like her sister's that ere long she ceased to be disagreeable to

him, and instead of avoiding her society, as at first he had done, he now

sought it.

Julia saw her advantage, and determined to follow it up. Nothing could

exceed her extreme amiability, and apparent sweetness of disposition. Even

Mrs. Lacey was partially deceived, and concluded she had been too hasty in

her estimation of Miss Middleton. Still she watched her son's movements

narrowly, and hoped he had no intentions of making Julia his wife.

She was in New Orleans three weeks before her uncle's house was in

readiness; but at the end of that time she, together with Dr. Lacey, Mabel

Mortimer and Florence Woodburn were about to exchange the heat and dust of

the city for a cooler residence near the lake. The day before they left

was hot and sultry, and in the morning Julia sought the shade of a large

vine-wreathed summer house, which stood in the garden, near by the tree

under which Rondeau had buried his master's letter.