with lee in virginia-第8节

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for　she　had　not　told　him　of　the　letter　she　had　written　to　Jackson；

and　he　thought　that　she　might　disapprove　of　any　interference　in　the

matter；　consequently　ho　went　down　to　Mr。　Renfrew；　the　family

solicitor。



〃Mr。　Renfrew；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　some　money；　can　you　lend　it　me？〃



〃You　want　money；〃　the　solicitor　said　in　surprise。　〃What　on　earth

do　you　want　money　for？　and　if　you　want　it；　why　don't　you　ask　your

mother　for　it？　How　much　do　you　want？〃



〃I　don't　know　exactly。　　About　eight　hundred　dollars；　I　should　think；

though　it　may　be　a　thousand。　I　want　to　buy　a　slave。〃



〃You　want　to　buy　a　slave！〃　repeated　Mr。　Renfrew。　〃What　on　earth

do　you　want　to　buy　a　slave　for？　　You　have　more　than　you　want

now　at　the　Orangery。〃



〃It's　a　slave　that　man　Jackson　is　going　to　sell　next　Saturday；　on

purpose　to　spite　the　poor　creature's　husband　and　drive　him　to

desperation；〃　and　Vincent　then　repeated　the　whole　story　of　the

circumstances　that　had　led　up　to　the　sale。



〃It　is　all　very　abominable　on　the　part　of　these　Jacksons；〃　Mr。

Renfrew　said；　〃but　your　interference　was　most　imprudent；　my

young　friend；　and；　as　you　see；　it　has　done　harm　rather　than　good。　

If　you　are　so　quixotic　as　to　become　the　champion　of　every

ill…treated　slave　in　the　State；　your　work　is　pretty　well　cut　out　for

you。〃



〃I　know　that；　sir；〃　Vincent　replied；　smiling；　〃and　I　can　assure　you　I

did　not　intend　to　enter　upon　any　such　crusade；　but；　you　see；　I　have

wrongly　or　rightly　mixed　myself　up　in　this；　and　I　want　to　repair　the

mischief　which；　as　you　say；　I　have　caused。　　The　only　way　I　can　see

is　to　buy　this　negress　and　her　baby。〃



〃But　I　do　not　see　that　you　will　carry　out　your　object　if　you　do；

Vincent。　　She　will　be　separated　just　as　much　from　her　husband　if

you　buy　her　as　if　any　one　else　does。　　He　is　at　one　plantation　and

she　is　at　another；　and　were　they　ten　miles　apart　or　a　hundred；　they

are　equally　separated。〃



〃I　quite　see　that；　Mr。　Renfrew；　but；　at　least；　she　will　be　kindly

treated；　and　his　mind　will　be　at　rest　on　that　score。　　Perhaps　some

day　or　other　the　Jacksons　may　put　him　up　for　sale；　and　then　I　can

buy　him；　and　they　will　be　reunited。　　At　any　rate；　the　first　step　is　to

buy　her。　　Can　you　let　me　have　the　money？　My　mother　makes　me　a

very　good　allowance。〃



〃And　I　suppose　you　spend　it；〃　the　lawyer　interrupted。



〃Well；　yes；　I　generally　spend　it；　but　then；　you　see；　when　I　come　of

age　I　come　in　for　the　outlying　estates。〃



〃And　if　you　die　before；　or　get　shot；　or　any　other　accident　befalls

you；〃　Mr。　Renfrew　said；　〃they　go　to　your　sisters。　　However；　one

must　risk　something　for　a　client；　so　I　will　lend　you　the　money。　　I

had　better　put　somebody　up　to　bid　for　you；　for　after　what　has

happened　the　Jacksons　would　probably　not　let　her　go　if　they　knew

that　you　wore　going　to　be　the　purchaser。〃



〃Thank　you　very　much；〃　Vincent　said　warmly；　〃it　will　be　a　great

weight　off　my　mind；〃　and　with　a　light　heart　he　rode　back　to　the

Orangery。



Vincent　said　nothing　during　the　next　two　days　to　any　of　his　friends

as　to　the　course　the　Jacksons　wore　taking　in　selling　Tony's　wife；

for　he　thought　that　if　the　news　got　about；　some　of　his　friends　who

had　heard　the　circumstances　might　go　down　to　the　auction　and

make　such　a　demonstration　that　Jackson　would　be　obliged　to

withdraw　Dinah　from　the　sale；　in　which　case　he　would　no　doubt

dispose　of　her　privately。　　On　the　Saturday　he　mounted　his　horse

and　rode　into　Richmond；　telling　Dan　to　meet　him　there。　　At　the

hour　the　sale　was　announced　he　went　to　the　yard　where　it　was　to

take　place。



This　was　a　somewhat　quiet　and　secluded　place；　for　although　the

sale　of　slaves　was　permitted　by　law　in　Virginia；　at　any　rate　these

auctions　were　conducted　quietly　and　with　as　little　publicity　as

possible。　　For　although　the　better　classes　still　regarded　slavery　as　a

necessary　institution；　they　were　conscious　that　these　sales；

involving　as　they　did　the　separation　of　families；　were　indefensible；

and　the　more　thoughtful　would　gladly　have　seen　them　abolished；

and　a　law　passed　forbidding　the　sale　of　negroes　save　as　part　and

parcel　of　the　estate　upon　which　they　worked；　an　exception　only

being　made　in　the　case　of　gross　misconduct。　Many　of　the

slave…owners；　indeed；　forbade　all　flogging　upon　their　estates；　and

punished　refractory　slaves；　in　the　first　place；　by　the　cutting　off　of

the　privileges　they　enjoyed　in　the　way　of　holidays；　and　if　this　did

not　answer；　threatened　to　sell　them…a　threat　which　was；　in　the　vast

majority　of　cases；　quite　sufficient　to　ensure　good　behavior；　for　the

slaves　were　well　aware　of　the　difference　between　life　in　the

well…managed　establishments　in　Virginia　and　that　in　some　of　the

other　Southern　States。　　Handing　his　horse　to　Dan；　Vincent　joined　a

knot　of　four　or　five　of　his　acquaintances　who　had　strolled　in　from

mere　curiosity。



There　were　some　thirty　or　forty　men　in　the　yard；　a　few　of　whom

had　come　in　for　the　purpose　of　buying；　but　the　great　majority　had

only　attended　for　the　sake　of　passing　an　idle　hour。　　Slaves　had

fallen　in　value；　for　although　all　in　the　South　professed　their

confidence　that　the　law　would　never　attempt　by　force　of　arms　to

prevent　their　secession；　it　was　felt　that　slave　property　would　in

future　be　more　precarious；　for　the　North　would　not　improbably

repeal　the　Jaws　for　the　arrest　of　fugitive　slaves；　and　consequently

all　runaways　who　succeeded　in　crossing　the　border　would　be　lost

to　their　masters。



Upon　the　other　side　of　the　yard　Vincent　saw　Andrew　Jackson

talking　to　two　or　three　men　who　were　strangers　to　him；　and　who；

he　guessed；　were　buyers　from　some　of　the　more　southern　States　

There　were　in　all　twelve　lots　to　be　disposed　of。　　Of　these　two　or

three　were　hands　who　wore　no　longer　fit　for　field　work；　and　who

were　bought　at　very　low　prices　by　men　who　owned　but　a　few　acres

of　land；　and　who　could　utilize　them　for　odd　jobs　requiring　but　little

strength。　　Then　there　was　a　stir　of　attention。　　Dinah　Moore　took　her

stand　upon　the　platform；　with　her　baby　in　her　arms。　　The　message

which　Dan　had　conveyed　from　Vincent　to　her　husband　had　given

her　some　hope；　and　though　she　looked　scared　and　frightened　as　she

clasped　her　babe　to　her　breast；　she　was　not　filled　with　such　utter

despair　as　would　otherwise　have　been　the　case。



The　auctioneer　stated　the　advantages　of　the　lot　in　the　same

business…like　tone　as　if　he　had　been　selling　a　horse：



〃Lot　6。　　Negro　wench；　Dinah；　ago　twenty…two；　with　male　child。

Strong　and　well　made；　as　you　see；　gentlemen；　fit　for　field　work；　or

could　be　made　a　useful　hand　about　a　house；　said　to　be　handy　and

good…tempered。　　Now；　gentlemen；　what　shall　we　say　for　this

desirable　lot？〃



One　of　the　men　standing　by　Andrew　Jackson　bid　a　hundred　dollars。　

The　bid　was　raised　to　a　hundred　and　fifty　by　a　rough…looking

fellow　standing　in　front　of　the　platform。　For　some　time　the　bidding

was　confined　to　these　two；　and　it　rose　until　it　reached　seven

hundred　and　fifty；　at　which　point　the　man　near　the　platform　retired；

and　there　was　a　pause。



Vincent　felt　uncomfortable。　　He　had　already　been　round　to　Mr。

Renfrew；　who　had　told　him　that　he　had　deputed　an　agent　to　buy；

and　until　the　man　near　the　platform　stopped　ho　had　supposed　that

he　was　the　solicitor's　agent。



〃Now；　gentlemen；〃　the　auctioneer　said；　〃surely　you　are　not　going

to　let　this　desirable　piece　of　property　go　for　seven　fifty？　She　would

be　cheap　at　double　the　price。　　I　have　sold　worse　articles　for　three

thousand。〃　



〃I　will　go　another　twenty…five　dollars；〃　a　tall　man　in　homespun　and

a　broad　planter's　straw　hat　said　quietly。



The　contest　now　recommenced；　and　by　bids　of　twenty…five　dollars

at　a　time　the　amount　was　raised　to　twelve　hundred　and　fifty

dollars。



〃That's　enough　for　me；〃　the　man　standing　by　Andrew　Jackson　said；

〃he　may　have　her　at　twelve　fifty；　and　dear　enough；　too；　as　times

go。〃



Will　any　one　else　make　an　offer？〃　the　auctioneer　asked。　There　was

no　response；　and　the　hammer　fell。



〃What　name？〃



〃Nathaniel　Forster；〃　the　tall　man　said；　and　advancing　to　the　table

he　counted　out　a　roll　of　notes　and　gave　them　to　the　auctioneer；

who　handed　to　him　a　formal　note　certifying　to　his　having　duly　and

legally　purchased　Dinah　Moore　and　her　infant；　late　the　property　of

Andrew　Jackson；　Esquire；　of　the　Cedars；　State　of　Virginia。



The　purchaser　had　evidently　made　up　his　mind　beforehand　to

secure　the　lot；　for　he　handed　a　parcel　he　had　been　holding　to　

Dinah；　and　said　briefly；　〃Slip　those　things　on；　my　lass。〃



The　poor　girl；　who　had　before　been　simply　attired　in　the　scantiest

of　petticoats；　retired　to　a　corner　of　the　yard；　and　speedily　came

forward　again　dressed　in　a　neat　cotton　gown。　There　were　several

joking　remarks　made　by　the　bystanders；　but　Dinah's　new　master

took　no　notice　of　them；　but　with　a　motion　of　his　hand　to　her　to

follow　him；　walked　out　of　the　yard。



A　minute　later　Vincent　followed；　and　although　he　had　no　doubt