ook o' that little 'un. Doan't ye see the
Squire's eyes and forrerd thar?' and he took the little girl roughly by
the arm, and turned her face toward mine. The lower part of her features
were like her mother's, but her eyes, hair, and forehead were Preston's!

'Yes, I see,' I said; 'but you spoke of two little girls; where is the
other?'

'Well, you see, I bought 'em both, and the Gin'ral give me a bill o'
sale on 'em; but when we come to look arter the young 'un in the
mornin', she warn't thar. The Gin'ral's 'ooman--she's a 'ooman fur me--a
hull team--she makes him stan' round, _I_ reckon. Well, she'd a likin'
for the little 'un, and she swoore she shouldn't be sold. She told me
ter my face she'd packed har off whar I couldn't git har, nohow; and she
said she'd raise the town, and hev me driv' out if I 'tempted it.'

'What did you do then?' I asked.

'Well, ye knows the Gin'ral's a honerubble man; so, when he seed his
'ooman was sot thet way, he throw'd in the yaller boy--and he's wuth a
hun'red more'n the gal, ony day. His mother took on ter kill, 'cause the
Gin'ral'd sort o' promised him ter har, and she'd been a savin' up ter
buy him. But the Gin'ral's a honerubble man, and he didn't flinch a
hair--not a hair. Thet's the sort ter deal with, I say. I stuck fur the
little gal, though--'cause, ye see, I'd takin' a likin' ter har
myself--she's the pootiest little thing ye ever seed, she is; but the
Gin'ral he said 'twarn't no use, fur his 'ooman would have har way, and
finally I guv in, and took another bill o' sale. And what d'ye think!
I'd no more'n got it inter my pocket, 'fore the Gin'ral's 'ooman pulled
out a gold watch, two or three diamond pins, a ring or two, and some
wimmin's fixin's, and says she, 'See thar, _Mister_ Larkin, them's what
I got fur the little gal. _I've_ sold har--sold har this mornin', and
guv the bill o' sale; and if the Gin'ral doan't cartify it, he woan't
git no peace, I reckon. I was bound ter see one on 'em done right by, I
was.' Well, I told har she wus ahead o' my time, and I put out raather
sudden, I did. A 'ooman's the devil; I'd ruther trade with twenty men
than one 'ooman, I swar.'

When he spoke of her child, the slave woman burst into tears. Her
emotion drowned the curiosity which had made me a patient listener to
the trader's story, and recalled me to the business in hand. With some
twinges of conscience for having kept the wretched girl so long on the
rack, I said to him, 'W