Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/383

 crowd — a sally which provoked another and still more violent explosion of laughter.

"With privilege to take the child at a dollar a pound," continued the auctioneer. "Three hundred and fifty! Four hundred! Thank you, sir, with a bow and a bland smile to the bidder. "Four hundred and fifty? Did I hear it? Four hundred and fifty! Five hundred! Can't pause, gentlemen; great heap of 'em here to sell to-day. All done at five hundred? Five hundred! Going! Five hundred dollars for a prime Virginia wench, who begins young, and promises to be a great breeder; only five hundred dollars! Why, upon my honor, gentlemen," pausing, and laying his hammer across his breast, "upon my honor," — this with a very decided emphasis, — "she's worth seven hundred and fifty for any body's use; a handsome, young, good-natured, stout, and healthy chambermaid and seamstress, raised in one of the first families of Virginia, and sold for only five hundred dollars! We shall be obliged to stop the sale, gentlemen, if you don't bid better. All done-at five hundred dollars? Going at five hundred dollars! Gone." And the hammer fell. "Gone for five hundred dollars, and mighty cheap at that, to Mr Charles Parker." Here a fat, jolly-looking, youngish gentleman stepped forward, and the black girl, looking intently at him, and as if pleased with his appearance, smiled confidingly on her new purchaser. "Mr Parker of course takes the child," the auctioneer continued, addressing his clerk; "add thirty-five dollars for the child, at a dollar a pound."

"Not at all!" — so the purchaser interposed; and as he spoke, how suddenly and sadly the girl's countenance fell! — "I've bought her for a wet nurse; I don't want the brat — wouldn't take it as a gift."

I could see, as he spoke, how the mother's arms closed on the child, as if with a convulsive grasp. I expected a scene, but the same little squint-eyed, hard-featured fellow, whom I had noticed before, stepped up to the purchaser, saying in a whisper,