cupied by persons fleeing from the
fearful contagion that was carrying off its hundreds daily.

Late in the day, as Clotelle was standing at one of the windows of the
ladies' saloon, she was astonished to see near her, and with eyes fixed
intently upon her, the tall young stranger whom she had observed in the
slave-market a few days before. She turned hastily away, but the heated
cabin and the want of fresh air soon drove her again to the window. The
young gentleman again appeared, and coming to the end of the saloon,
spoke to the slave-girl in broken English. This confirmed her in her
previous opinion that he was a foreigner, and she rejoiced that she had
not fallen into his hands.

"I want to talk with you," said the stranger.

"What do you want with me?" she inquired. "I am your friend," he
answered. "I saw you in the slave-market last week, and regretted that I
did not speak to you then. I returned in the evening, but you was gone."

Clotelle looked indignantly at the stranger, and was about leaving the
window again when the quivering of his lips and the trembling of his
voice struck her attention and caused her to remain.

"I intended to buy you and make you free and happy, but I was too late,"
continued he.

"Why do you wish to make me free?" inquired the girl.

"Because I once had an only and lovely sister, who died three years
ago in France, and you are so much like her that had I not known of her
death I should certainly have taken you for her."

"However much I may resemble your sister, you are aware that I am not
she; why, then, take so much interest in one whom you have never seen
before and may never see again?"

"The love," said he, "which I had for my sister is transferred to you."

Clotelle had all along suspected that the man was a knave, and this
profession of love at once confirmed her in that belief. She therefore
immediately turned away and left him.

Hours elapsed. Twilight was just "letting down her curtain and pinning
it with a star," as the slave-girl seated herself on a sofa by the
window, and began meditating upon her eventful history, meanwhile
watching the white waves as they seemed to sport with each other in the
wake of the noble vessel, with the rising moon reflecting its silver
rays upon the splendid scene, when the foreigner once more appeared
near the window. Although agitated for fear her mistress would see her
talking to a stranger, and be angry, Clotelle still thought sh