this poor child if he had never been born. All this may happen to
him yet!"

"O, but master is so kind!"

"Yes, but who knows?--he may die--and then he may be sold to nobody
knows who. What pleasure is it that he is handsome, and smart, and
bright? I tell you, Eliza, that a sword will pierce through your soul
for every good and pleasant thing your child is or has; it will make him
worth too much for you to keep."

The words smote heavily on Eliza's heart; the vision of the trader came
before her eyes, and, as if some one had struck her a deadly blow,
she turned pale and gasped for breath. She looked nervously out on the
verandah, where the boy, tired of the grave conversation, had retired,
and where he was riding triumphantly up and down on Mr. Shelby's
walking-stick. She would have spoken to tell her husband her fears, but
checked herself.

"No, no,--he has enough to bear, poor fellow!" she thought. "No, I won't
tell him; besides, it an't true; Missis never deceives us."

"So, Eliza, my girl," said the husband, mournfully, "bear up, now; and
good-by, for I'm going."

"Going, George! Going where?"

"To Canada," said he, straightening himself up; "and when I'm there, I'll
buy you; that's all the hope that's left us. You have a kind master,
that won't refuse to sell you. I'll buy you and the boy;--God helping
me, I will!"

"O, dreadful! if you should be taken?"

"I won't be taken, Eliza; I'll _die_ first! I'll be free, or I'll die!"

"You won't kill yourself!"

"No need of that. They will kill me, fast enough; they never will get me
down the river alive!"

"O, George, for my sake, do be careful! Don't do anything wicked; don't
lay hands on yourself, or anybody else! You are tempted too much--too
much; but don't--go you must--but go carefully, prudently; pray God to
help you."

"Well, then, Eliza, hear my plan. Mas'r took it into his head to send
me right by here, with a note to Mr. Symmes, that lives a mile past. I
believe he expected I should come here to tell you what I have. It would
please him, if he thought it would aggravate 'Shelby's folks,' as he
calls 'em. I'm going home quite resigned, you understand, as if all was
over. I've got some preparations made,--and there are those that will
help me; and, in the course of a week or so, I shall be among the
missing, some day. Pray for me, Eliza; perhaps the good Lord will hear
_you_."

"O, pray yourself, George, and go trusting in him; then you won't d