"Then it is not yours particularly?"
"Yes, it is, Dr. Sandford, _very_ particularly."
"How is that?" said he.
I hesitated. I shrank from the whole subject; it was so
extremely sore to me.
"I ought to warn you," he went on, "that if you take her
further, she may if she likes leave you, and claim her
freedom. That is the law. If her owner takes her into the free
States, she may remain in them if she will, whether he does or
not."
I was silent still, for the whole thing choked me. I was quite
willing she should have her freedom, get it any way she could;
but there was my father, and his pleasure and interest, which
might not choose to lose a piece of his property — and my
mother and _her_ interest and pleasure; I knew what both would
be. I was dumb.
"You had not thought of this before?" the doctor went on.
"No, sir."
"Does it not change your mind about taking her on?"
"No, sir."
"Did it ever occur to you, or rather, does it not occur to you
now, that the girl's design in coming may have been this very
purpose of her freedom?"
"I do not think it was," I said.
Pages:
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262