sements of slaves to be sold, and a
day or two later saw a notice to the effect that Dinah Moore, age
twenty-two, with a male baby at her breast, would be sold on the
following Saturday. He mounted his horse and rode into Richmond. He had
not liked to speak to his mother on the subject, for she had not told
him of the letter she had written to Jackson; and he thought that she
might disapprove of any interference in the matter, consequently he went
down to Mr. Renfrew, the family solicitor.

"Mr. Renfrew," he said, "I want some money; can you lend it me?"

"You want money," the solicitor said in surprise. "What on earth do you
want money for? and if you want it why don't you ask your mother for it?
How much do you want?"

"I don't know exactly. About eight hundred dollars, I should think;
though it may be a thousand. I want to buy a slave."

"You want to buy a slave!" repeated Mr. Renfrew. "What on earth do you
want to buy a slave for? You have more than you want now at the
Orangery."

"It's a slave that man Jackson is going to sell next Saturday, on
purpose to spite the poor creature's husband and drive him to
desperation," and Vincent then repeated the whole story of the
circumstances that had led up to the sale.

"It is very abominable on the part of these Jacksons," Mr. Renfrew said,
"but your interference was most imprudent, my young friend; and as you
see, it has done harm rather than good. If you are so quixotic as to
become the champion of every ill-treated slave in the State, your work
is pretty well cut out for you."

"I know that, sir," Vincent replied, smiling, "and I can assure you I
did not intend to enter upon any such crusade; but, you see, I have
wrongly or rightly mixed myself up in this, and I want to repair the
mischief which, as you say, I have caused. The only way I can see is to
buy this negress and her baby."

"But I do not see that you will carry out your object if you do,
Vincent. She will be separated just as much from her husband if you buy
her as if anyone else does. He is at one plantation and she is at
another, and were they ten miles apart or a hundred, they are equally
separated."

"I quite see that, Mr. Renfrew; but, at least she will be kindly
treated, and his mind will be at rest on that score. Perhaps some day or
other the Jacksons may put him up for sale, and then I can buy him, and
they will be reunited. At any rate, the first step is to buy her. Can
you let me have the