dollars if you are not on the spot
when he wants you; he's going today to look after his other business,
and you can have the day to yourself. Go anywhere you like, boy."

"Thank you, Mas'r," said Tom.

"And mind yourself," said the trader, "and don't come it over your
master with any o' yer nigger tricks; for I'll take every cent out of
him, if you an't thar. If he'd hear to me, he wouldn't trust any on
ye--slippery as eels!"

"Mas'r," said Tom,--and he stood very straight,--"I was jist eight years
old when ole Missis put you into my arms, and you wasn't a year old.
'Thar,' says she, 'Tom, that's to be _your_ young Mas'r; take good care
on him,' says she. And now I jist ask you, Mas'r, have I ever broke word
to you, or gone contrary to you, 'specially since I was a Christian?"

Mr. Shelby was fairly overcome, and the tears rose to his eyes.

"My good boy," said he, "the Lord knows you say but the truth; and if I
was able to help it, all the world shouldn't buy you."

"And sure as I am a Christian woman," said Mrs. Shelby, "you shall be
redeemed as soon as I can any bring together means. Sir," she said to
Haley, "take good account of who you sell him to, and let me know."

"Lor, yes, for that matter," said the trader, "I may bring him up in a
year, not much the wuss for wear, and trade him back."

"I'll trade with you then, and make it for your advantage," said Mrs.
Shelby.

"Of course," said the trader, "all 's equal with me; li'ves trade 'em
up as down, so I does a good business. All I want is a livin', you know,
ma'am; that's all any on us wants, I, s'pose."

Mr. and Mrs. Shelby both felt annoyed and degraded by the familiar
impudence of the trader, and yet both saw the absolute necessity of
putting a constraint on their feelings. The more hopelessly sordid and
insensible he appeared, the greater became Mrs. Shelby's dread of his
succeeding in recapturing Eliza and her child, and of course the greater
her motive for detaining him by every female artifice. She therefore
graciously smiled, assented, chatted familiarly, and did all she could
to make time pass imperceptibly.

At two o'clock Sam and Andy brought the horses up to the posts,
apparently greatly refreshed and invigorated by the scamper of the
morning.

Sam was there new oiled from dinner, with an abundance of zealous
and ready officiousness. As Haley approached, he was boasting, in
flourishing style, to Andy, of the evident and eminent success