with lee in virginia-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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

that　the　man　was　the　agent　Mr。　Renfrew　had　employed；　he　did　not

feel　thoroughly　satisfied　until　he　saw　　them　enter　the　lawyer's

office。　　He　quickly　followed。　They　had　just　entered　the　private

room　of　Mr。　Renfrew。



〃That's　right；　Wingfield；〃　the　lawyer　said。　　〃You　see　we　have

settled　the　business　satisfactorily；　and　I　think　you　have　got　a　fairly

cheap　bargain。　　Just　wait　a　moment　and　we　will　complete　the

transaction。〃



Dinah　gave　a　start　as　Vincent　entered；　but　with　the　habitual

self…repression　of　a　slave　she　stood　quietly　in　the　corner　to　which

she　had　withdrawn　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。



The　lawyer　was　busy　drawing　up　a　document；　and　touching　the

bell　ordered　a　clerk　to　go　across　to　Mr。　Rawlins；　justice　of　the

peace；　and　ask　him　to　step　across　the　road。



In　a　minute　Mr。　Rawlins　entered。



〃I　want　you　to　witness　a　deed　of　sale　of　a　slave；〃　Mr。　Renfrew　said。　

〃Here　are　the　particulars：　'Nathaniel　Forster　sells　to　Vincent

Wingfield　his　slave；　Dinah　Moore　and　her　male　infant；　for　the　sum

of　fourteen　hundred　dollars。'　These　are　the　parties。　Forster　sign　this

receipt。〃



The　man　did　so。　　The　justice　put　his　signature　as　wit…ness　to　the

transaction；　dropped　into　his　pocket　the　fee　of　five　dollars　that　the

lawyer　handed　to　him；　and　without　a　word　strolled　out　again。



〃There；　Dinah；〃　Mr。　Renfrew　said；　〃Mr。　Wingfield　is　now　your

master；〃



The　girl　ran　forward；　fell　on　her　knees　before　Vincent；　seized　his

hand　and　kissed　it；　sobbing　out　her　thanks　as　she　did　so。　



〃There；　that　will　do；　Dinah；〃　the　lawyer　said；　seeing　that　Vincent

was　confused　by　her　greeting。　　〃I　think　you　are　a　lucky　girl；　and

have　made　a　good　exchange　for　the　Orangery　instead　of　the

Cedars。　　I　don't　suppose　you　will　find　Mr。　Wingfield　a　very　hard

master。　　What　he　is　going　to　do　with　you　I　am　sure　I　don't　know。〃



Vincent　now　went　to　the　door　and　called　in　Dan　and　told　him　to

take　Dinah　to　the　Orangery；　then　mounting　his　horse　he　rode　off

home　to　prepare　his　mother　　for　the　reception　of　his　new　purchase。



　CHAPTER　III。　AIDING　A　RUNAWAY。



〃WELL；　you　are　an　extraordinary　boy；　Vincent；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield

said　as　her　son　told　her　the　story；　while　his　sisters　burst　into　fits　of

laughter　at　the　idea　of　Vincent　owning　a　female　slave　with　a　baby。　

〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　that　you　wanted　the　money　instead　of

going　to　Mr。　Renfrew？　　I　shall　tell　him　I　am　very　angry　with　him

for　letting　you　have　it　for　such　a　purpose。〃



〃I　was　not　sure　whether　you　would　let　me　have　it；　mother；　and　if

you　had　refused；　and　I　had　got　it　afterward　from　Mr。　Renfrew；　I

should　not　have　liked　to　bring　her　home　here。〃



〃That　would　have　been　fun；〃　Annie　said。　　〃Fancy　Vincent's

troubles　with　a　female　slave　on　his　hands　and　nowhere　to　put　her。　

What　would　you　have　done；　Vincent？〃



〃I　suppose　I　could　have　got　a　home　for　her　somewhere；〃　Vincent

said　quietly。　　〃I　don't　think　there　would　have　been　any　difficulty

about　that。　　Still　I　am　glad　I　didn't　have　to　do　so；　and　one　slave

more　or　less　can　make　no　difference　here。〃



〃Not　at　all；〃　Mrs。　Wingfleld　said；　〃I　dare　say　Chloe　will　find

something　for　her　to　do　in　the　way　of　washing；　and　such　other　light

work　that　she　is　fit　for　about　the　house。　　It　is　not　that；　but　it　is　years

since　a　slave　was　brought　into　the　Orangery；　never　since　I　can

remember。　We　raise　more　than　we　want　ourselves；　and　when　I　see

all　those　children　about；　I　wonder　sometimes　what　on　earth　we　are

to　find　for　them　all　to　do。　　Still；　it　was　a　scandalous　thing　of　that

man　Jackson　selling　the　girl　to　punish　her　husband；　and　as　you　say

it　was　your　foolish　interference　in　the　matter　that　brought　it　about；

so　I　do　not　know　that　I　can　blame　you　for　doing　what　you　can　to

set　the　matter　straight。　　Still；　except　that　the　knowledge　that　she　is

here　and　will　be　well　treated　will　be　a　comfort　to　the　man；　I　do　not

see　that　he　will　be　much　the　better　off；　unless　indeed　the　Jacksons

should　try　to　sell　him　also；　in　which　case　I　suppose　you　would

want　to　buy　him。〃



〃I　am　afraid　they　won't'　do　that；　mother。　　Still；　some…how　or　other；

in　time　they　may　come　together　again。



〃I　don't　see　how　they　can；　Vincent。　　However　we　need　not　think　of

that　now。　　At　any　rate　I　hope　there　will　he　no　further　opportunity

for　your　mixing　yourself　up　in　this　business。　　You　have　made　two

bitter　enemies　now；　and　although　I　do　not　see　that　such　people　as

these　can　do　you　any　harm；　it　is　always　well　not　to　make　enemies；

especially　in　times　like　these　when　no　one　can　foresee　exactly

what　may　occur。〃



And　so　Dinah　Moore　became　an　inmate　of　the　Orangery；　and

though　the　girls　had　laughed　at　their　brother；　they　were　very　kind

to　her　when　she　arrived　with　Dan；　and　made　much　of　her　and　of

her　baby。　　The　same　night　Dan　went　over　to　the　Cedars；　and

managed　to　have　an　inter　view　with　Tony；　and　to　tell　him　that　his

wife　had　been　bought　by　Vincent。　　The　joy　of　the　negro　was

extreme。　The　previous　message　had　raised　his　hopes　that　Vincent

would　succeed　in　getting　her　bought　by　some　one　who　would　be

kind　to　her；　hut　he　knew　well　that　she　might　nevertheless　fall　to

the　lot　of　some　higher　bidder　and　be　taken　hundreds　of　miles　away；

and　that　he　might　never　again　get　news　of　her　whereabouts。　　He

had　then　suffered　terrible　anxiety　all　day；　and　the　relief　of　learning

that　Vincent　himself　had　bought　her；　and　that　she　was　now

installed　as　a　house　servant　at　the　Orangery；　but　a　few　miles　away；

was　quite　overpowering；　and　for　some　minutes　he　could　only　gasp

out　his　joy　and　thankfulness。　　He　could　hope　now　that　when　better

times　came　he　might　be　able　to　steal　away　some　night　and　meet

her；　and　that　some　day　er　other；　though　how　he　could　not　see；　they

might　be　reunited。　The　Jacksons　remained　in　ignorance　that　their

former　slave　was　located　so　near　to　them。



It　was　for　this　reason　that　Mr。　Renfrew　had　instructed　his　agent　to

buy　her　in　his　own　name　instead　of　that　of　Vincent；　and　the

Jacksons；　having　no　idea　of　the　transfer　that　had　subsequently

taken　place；　took　no　further　interest　in　the　matter；　believing　that

they　had　achieved　their　object　of　torturing　Tony；　and　avenging

upon　him　the　humiliation　that　Andrew　had　suffered　at　Vincent's

hands。　　Had　they　questioned　their　slaves；　and　had　these　answered

them　truly；　they　would　have　discovered　the　facts。　　For　although

Tony　himself　said　no　word　to　any　one　of　what　he　had　learned　from

Dan；　the　fact　that　Dinah　was　at　the　Orangery　was　speedily　known

among　the　slaves；　for　the　doings　at　one　plantation　were　soon

conveyed　to　the　negroes　on　the　others　by　the　occasional　visits

which　they　paid　at　night　to　each　other's　quarters；　or　to　some

common　rendezvous　far　removed　from　interruption。



Occasionally　Tony　and　Dinah　met。　　Dan　would　come　up　late　in　the

evening　to　the　house；　and　a　nod　to　Dinah　would　be　sufficient　to

send　her　flying　down　the　garden　to　a　clump　of　shrubs；　where　he

would　be　waiting　for　her。　At　these　stolen　meetings　they　were

perfectly　happy；　for　Tony　said　no　word　to　her　of　the　misery　of　his

life…how　he　was　always　put　to　the　hardest　work　and　beaten　on　the

smallest　pretext；　how　in　fact　his　life　was　made　so　unendurable　that

the　idea　of　running　away　and　taking　to　the　swamps　was　constantly

present　to　him。



As　to　making　his　way　north；　it　did　not　enter　his　mind　as　possible。　

Slates　did　indeed　at　times　succeed　in　traveling　through　the

Northern　States　and　making　their　way　to　Canada；　but　this　was　only

possible　by　means　of　the　organization　known　as　the　underground

railway；　an　association　consisting　of　a　number　of　good　people　who

devoted　them…selves　to　the　purpose；　giving　shelter　to　fugitive

slaves　during　the　day；　and　then　passing　them　on　to　the　next　refuge

during　the　night。　　For　in　the　Northern　States　as　well　as　the

Southern　any　negro　unprovided　with　papers　showing　that　be　was　a

free　man　was　liable　to　be　arrested　and　sent　back　to　the　South　a

prisoner；　large　rewards　being　given　to　these　who　arrested　them。



As　he　was　returning　from　one　of　these　interviews　with　his　wife；

Tony　was　detected　by　the　overseer；　who　was　scrolling　about　round

the　slaves'　quarters；　and　was　next　morning　flogged　until　he　became

insensible。　　So　terrible　was　the　punishment　that　for　some　days　he

was　unable　to　walk。　　As　soon　as　he　could　get　about　he　was　again

set　to　work；　but　the　following　morning　he　was　found　to　be　missing。　

Andrew　Jackson　at　once　rode　into　Richmond；　and　In　half　an　hour

placards　and　handbills　were　printed　offering　a　reward　for　his

capture。　　These　were　not　only　circulated　in　the　neighborhood；　but

were　sent　off　to　all　the　towns　and　villages　through　which　Tony

might　be　expected　to　pass　in　the　endeavor　to　make　his　way　north。　

Vincent　soon　learned　from　Dan　what　had　taken　place。



〃You　have　no　idea；　I　suppose；　Dan；　as　to　which　way　he　is　likely　to

go？〃



Dan　shook　his　bead。



〃Me　suppose；　massa；　dat　most　l