Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/161

 struck with her appearance. They entered into conversation with her, and soon found that she had been bred a ladies' maid, and that her present master was a slave-trader. These ladies, it seemed, had been travelling at the north; and while on their journey, had lost a female servant by a sudden and violent attack of fever. They were now on their return to Carolina; and the younger of the two, suggested to her mother — for such their relation proved to be — to buy Cassy to supply the place of the maid they had lost. The mother started some objections to purchasing a stranger, about whom they knew nothing, and who had been sold by her former owner, they knew not for what reasons. But when Cassy's tears, prayers and supplications, were added to the entreaties of her daughter, she found herself quite unable to resist; and she sent to ask the man his price. He named it. It was a high one. But Mrs Montgomery — for that was the lady's name — was one of those people, who when they have made up their minds to do a generous action, are not easily to be shaken from their purpose. She took Cassy into the house with her, ordered the trunks to be brought in, and told the man to make out his bill of sale. The purchase was@§i sooner completed, than her new mistress took Cassy up stairs, and soon fitted her with a dress better becoming her new situation, than did the coarse gown and heavy shoes for which she was indebted to the disinterested generosity of her late master.

Cassy was dressed, the bill of sale was delivered, and the money paid, when Mrs Montgomery's brother and travelling companion rode up. He rallied his sister not a little, on what he called her foolish propensity to interfere between other people and their servants; he took her to task rather severely, for the imprudence of her purchase, and the high price she had paid; and he told her with a smile and a shake of the head, that one time or other, her foolish confidence and generosity would be her ruin. Mrs Montgomery took her brother's raillery all in good part; the carriage was ordered, and they proceeded together on their journey. The ladies with whom Cassy had come to the meeting, were Mrs Montgomery and her daughter. They lived