she said.

"Madame!" said George, with a strong accent of surprise.

"Yes," said Madame de Thoux, lifting her head, proudly, and wiping her
tears, "Mr. Shelby, George Harris is my brother!"

"I am perfectly astonished," said George, pushing back his chair a pace
or two, and looking at Madame de Thoux.

"I was sold to the South when he was a boy," said she. "I was bought by
a good and generous man. He took me with him to the West Indies, set me
free, and married me. It is but lately that he died; and I was going up
to Kentucky, to see if I could find and redeem my brother."

"I heard him speak of a sister Emily, that was sold South," said George.

"Yes, indeed! I am the one," said Madame de Thoux;--"tell me what sort
of a--"

"A very fine young man," said George, "notwithstanding the curse of
slavery that lay on him. He sustained a first rate character, both
for intelligence and principle. I know, you see," he said; "because he
married in our family."

"What sort of a girl?" said Madame de Thoux, eagerly.

"A treasure," said George; "a beautiful, intelligent, amiable girl.
Very pious. My mother had brought her up, and trained her as carefully,
almost, as a daughter. She could read and write, embroider and sew,
beautifully; and was a beautiful singer."

"Was she born in your house?" said Madame de Thoux.

"No. Father bought her once, in one of his trips to New Orleans, and
brought her up as a present to mother. She was about eight or nine years
old, then. Father would never tell mother what he gave for her; but, the
other day, in looking over his old papers, we came across the bill of
sale. He paid an extravagant sum for her, to be sure. I suppose, on
account of her extraordinary beauty."

George sat with his back to Cassy, and did not see the absorbed
expression of her countenance, as he was giving these details.

At this point in the story, she touched his arm, and, with a face
perfectly white with interest, said, "Do you know the names of the
people he bought her of?"

"A man of the name of Simmons, I think, was the principal in the
transaction. At least, I think that was the name on the bill of sale."

"O, my God!" said Cassy, and fell insensible on the floor of the cabin.

George was wide awake now, and so was Madame de Thoux. Though neither of
them could conjecture what was the cause of Cassy's fainting, still they
made all the tumult which is proper in such cases;--George upsetting a
wash-pitcher