t you have done, that admits of no
forgiveness.'

He rose, and walked the room for a while in gloomy silence, then said:

'I will tell you. It is right you should know. You _both_ should know
the sort of man you have esteemed and befriended for so many years;'
and, resuming his seat, he related the following occurrences:

'Everything went on as usual at the plantation, till some months after
Rosey's marriage to Ally. Then a child was born to them. It was white.
Rosey refused to reveal its father, but it was evidently not her
husband. Ally, being a proud, high-spirited fellow, took the thing
terribly to heart. He refused to live with his wife, or even to see her.
I tried to reconcile them, but without success. Old Dinah, who had
previously doted on Rosey, turned about, and began to beat and abuse her
cruelly. To keep the child out of the old woman's way, I took her into
the house, and she remained there till about two months ago. Then, one
day, Larkin, the trader, of whom you bought Phylly and the children,
came to me, wanting a woman house-servant. I was pressed for money, and
I offered him--a thing I never did before--two or three of my family
slaves. They did not suit, but he said Rosey would, and proposed to buy
her and the child. I refused. He offered me fifteen hundred dollars for
them, but I still refused. Then he told me that he had spoken to the
girl, and she wished him to buy her. I doubted it, and said so; but he
called Rosey to us, and she confirmed it, and, in an excited way, told
me she would run away, or drown herself, if I did not sell her. She said
she could live no longer on the same plantation with Ally. I told her I
would send Ally away; but she replied: 'No; I am tired of this place. I
have suffered so much here, I want to get away. I _shall_ go; whether
alive or dead, is for _you_ to say.' I saw she was in earnest; I was
hard pressed for money; Larkin promised to get her a kind master, and--I
sold her.'

'Sold her! My God! Preston, she was your own child!'

'I know it,' he replied, burying his face in his hands. 'The curse of
GOD was on it; it has been on me for years.' After a few moments, he
added: 'But hear the rest, and _you_ will curse me, too.'

Overcome with emotion, he groaned audibly. I said nothing, and a pause
of some minutes ensued. Then, in a choked, broken voice, he continued:

'The rosin transaction had been gone into. I had used up what blank
indorsements I had. Needing more,