ible seriously and honestly; he thought more soberly
and practically of his relations to his servants,--enough to make him
extremely dissatisfied with both his past and present course; and one
thing he did, soon after his return to New Orleans, and that was to
commence the legal steps necessary to Tom's emancipation, which was to
be perfected as soon as he could get through the necessary formalities.
Meantime, he attached himself to Tom more and more, every day. In all
the wide world, there was nothing that seemed to remind him so much
of Eva; and he would insist on keeping him constantly about him, and,
fastidious and unapproachable as he was with regard to his deeper
feelings, he almost thought aloud to Tom. Nor would any one have
wondered at it, who had seen the expression of affection and devotion
with which Tom continually followed his young master.

"Well, Tom," said St. Clare, the day after he had commenced the legal
formalities for his enfranchisement, "I'm going to make a free man of
you;--so have your trunk packed, and get ready to set out for Kentuck."

The sudden light of joy that shone in Tom's face as he raised his hands
to heaven, his emphatic "Bless the Lord!" rather discomposed St. Clare;
he did not like it that Tom should be so ready to leave him.

"You haven't had such very bad times here, that you need be in such a
rapture, Tom," he said drily.

"No, no, Mas'r! 'tan't that,--it's bein' a _freeman!_ that's what I'm
joyin' for."

"Why, Tom, don't you think, for your own part, you've been better off
than to be free?"

"_No, indeed_, Mas'r St. Clare," said Tom, with a flash of energy. "No,
indeed!"

"Why, Tom, you couldn't possibly have earned, by your work, such clothes
and such living as I have given you."

"Knows all that, Mas'r St. Clare; Mas'r's been too good; but, Mas'r,
I'd rather have poor clothes, poor house, poor everything, and have 'em
_mine_, than have the best, and have 'em any man's else,--I had _so_,
Mas'r; I think it's natur, Mas'r."

"I suppose so, Tom, and you'll be going off and leaving me, in a month
or so," he added, rather discontentedly. "Though why you shouldn't, no
mortal knows," he said, in a gayer tone; and, getting up, he began to
walk the floor.

"Not while Mas'r is in trouble," said Tom. "I'll stay with Mas'r as long
as he wants me,--so as I can be any use."

"Not while I'm in trouble, Tom?" said St. Clare, looking sadly out of
the window. . . . "And when will