olores for a
while, more, as it would appear, out of hatred for the other than any
real love to her. At such times it was really affecting to see with what
warmth the poor child would receive these equivocal demonstrations of
good-will--the nearest approaches to affection which she had ever
known--and the bitterness with which she would mourn when they were
capriciously withdrawn again. With a heart full of affection, she
reminded me of some delicate, climbing plant trying vainly to ascend the
slippery side of an inhospitable wall, and throwing its neglected
tendrils around every weed for support.

Her only fast, unfailing friend was her old negro nurse, or Mammy, as
the children called her. This old creature, with the cunning and
subtlety which had grown up from years of servitude, watched and waited
upon the interests of her little mistress, and contrived to carry many
points for her in the confused household. Her young mistress was her one
thought and purpose in living. She would have gone through fire and
water to serve her; and this faithful, devoted heart, blind and
ignorant though it were, was the only unfailing refuge and solace of the
poor hunted child.

Dolores, of course, became my pupil among the rest. Like the others, she
had suffered by the neglect and interruptions in the education of the
family, but she was intelligent and docile, and learned with a
surprising rapidity. It was not astonishing that she should soon have
formed an enthusiastic attachment to me, as I was the only intelligent,
cultivated person she had ever seen, and treated her with unvarying
consideration and delicacy. The poor thing had been so accustomed to
barbarous words and manners that simple politeness and the usages of
good society seemed to her cause for the most boundless gratitude.

It is due to myself, in view of what follows, to say that I was from the
first aware of the very obvious danger which lay in my path in finding
myself brought into close and daily relations with a young creature so
confiding, so attractive, and so singularly circumstanced. I knew that
it would be in the highest degree dishonorable to make the slightest
advances toward gaining from her that kind of affection which might
interfere with her happiness in such future relations as her father
might arrange for her. According to the European fashion, I know that
Dolores was in her father's hands, to be disposed of for life according
to his pleasure, as abs