all the money in the world; and how will she believe me when she sees
us turn round and sell her child?--sell him, perhaps, to certain ruin of
body and soul!"

"I'm sorry you feel so about it,--indeed I am," said Mr. Shelby; "and
I respect your feelings, too, though I don't pretend to share them to
their full extent; but I tell you now, solemnly, it's of no use--I can't
help myself. I didn't mean to tell you this Emily; but, in plain words,
there is no choice between selling these two and selling everything.
Either they must go, or _all_ must. Haley has come into possession of
a mortgage, which, if I don't clear off with him directly, will take
everything before it. I've raked, and scraped, and borrowed, and all but
begged,--and the price of these two was needed to make up the balance,
and I had to give them up. Haley fancied the child; he agreed to settle
the matter that way, and no other. I was in his power, and _had_ to do
it. If you feel so to have them sold, would it be any better to have
_all_ sold?"

Mrs. Shelby stood like one stricken. Finally, turning to her toilet, she
rested her face in her hands, and gave a sort of groan.

"This is God's curse on slavery!--a bitter, bitter, most accursed
thing!--a curse to the master and a curse to the slave! I was a fool to
think I could make anything good out of such a deadly evil. It is a sin
to hold a slave under laws like ours,--I always felt it was,--I always
thought so when I was a girl,--I thought so still more after I joined
the church; but I thought I could gild it over,--I thought, by kindness,
and care, and instruction, I could make the condition of mine better
than freedom--fool that I was!"