"And yet your laws allow him to hold any number of human beings subject
to his absolute will, without even a shadow of protection; and, low as
he is, you cannot say that there are not many such."

"Well," said the other, "there are also many considerate and humane men
among planters."

"Granted," said the young man; "but, in my opinion, it is you
considerate, humane men, that are responsible for all the brutality
and outrage wrought by these wretches; because, if it were not for your
sanction and influence, the whole system could not keep foothold for
an hour. If there were no planters except such as that one," said he,
pointing with his finger to Legree, who stood with his back to
them, "the whole thing would go down like a millstone. It is your
respectability and humanity that licenses and protects his brutality."

"You certainly have a high opinion of my good nature," said the planter,
smiling, "but I advise you not to talk quite so loud, as there are
people on board the boat who might not be quite so tolerant to opinion
as I am. You had better wait till I get up to my plantation, and there
you may abuse us all, quite at your leisure."

The young gentleman colored and smiled, and the two were soon busy in a
game of backgammon. Meanwhile, another conversation was going on in the
lower part of the boat, between Emmeline and the mulatto woman with whom
she was confined. As was natural, they were exchanging with each other
some particulars of their history.

"Who did you belong to?" said Emmeline.

"Well, my Mas'r was Mr. Ellis,--lived on Levee-street. P'raps you've
seen the house."

"Was he good to you?" said Emmeline.

"Mostly, till he tuk sick. He's lain sick, off and on, more than six
months, and been orful oneasy. 'Pears like he warnt willin' to have
nobody rest, day or night; and got so curous, there couldn't nobody suit
him. 'Pears like he just grew crosser, every day; kep me up nights till
I got farly beat out, and couldn't keep awake no longer; and cause I got
to sleep, one night, Lors, he talk so orful to me, and he tell me he'd
sell me to just the hardest master he could find; and he'd promised me
my freedom, too, when he died."

"Had you any friends?" said Emmeline.

"Yes, my husband,--he's a blacksmith. Mas'r gen'ly hired him out. They
took me off so quick, I didn't even have time to see him; and I's got
four children. O, dear me!" said the woman, covering her face with her
hands.

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