s, and the boots
neatly blacked. The watch was placed on the shelf, and the hat in its
place. Sam had not met any of the servants, and was therefore entirely
ignorant of what had occurred during his absence.

"What have you been about, sir, and where was you last night when I was
called?" said the doctor.

"I don't know, sir. I 'spose I was asleep," replied Sam.

But the doctor was not to be so easily satisfied, after having been put
to so much trouble in hunting up another suit without the aid of Sam.
After breakfast, Sam was taken into the barn, tied up, and severely
flogged with the cat, which brought from him the truth concerning his
absence the previous night. This forever put an end to his fine
appearance at the negro parties. Had not the doctor been one of the
most indulgent of masters, he would not have escaped with merely a
severe whipping.

As a matter of course, Sam had to relate to his companions that evening
in Mr. Wilson's kitchen all his adventures as a physician while with
his old master.

CHAPTER IX

THE MAN OF HONOR.

Augustine Cardinay, the purchaser of Marion, was from the Green
Mountains of Vermont, and his feelings were opposed to the holding of
slaves; but his young wife persuaded him in into the idea that it was
no worse to own a slave than to hire one and pay the money to another.
Hence it was that he had been induced to purchase Marion.

Adolphus Morton, a young physician from the same State, and who had
just commenced the practice of his profession in New Orleans, was
boarding with Cardinay when Marion was brought home. The young
physician had been in New Orleans but a very few weeks, and had seen
but little of slavery. In his own mountain-home, he had been taught
that the slaves of the Southern States were negroes, and if not from
the coast of Africa, the descendants of those who had been imported. He
was unprepared to behold with composure a beautiful white girl of
sixteen in the degraded position of a chattel slave.

The blood chilled in his young heart as he heard Cardinay tell how, by
bantering with the trader, he had bought her two hundred dollars less
than he first asked. His very looks showed that she had the deepest
sympathies of his heart.

Marion had been brought up by her mother to look after the domestic
concerns of her cottage in Virginia, and well knew how to perform the
duties imposed upon her. Mrs. Cardinay was much pleased with her new
servant, and often men