your wilfulness drove me to it. You know I exact obedience from my own children, and I consider you as yet a child."
He paused for an answer, but I remained silent.
"Why don't you speak?" said he. "What more do you wait for?"
"Nothing, sir."
"Then you accept my offer?"
"No, sir."
His anger was ready to break loose; but he succeeded in curbing it, and replied, "You have answered without thought. But I must let you know there are two sides to my proposition; if you reject the bright side, you will be obliged to take the dark one. You must either accept my offer, or you and your children shall be sent to your young master's plantation, there to remain till your young mistress is married; and your children shall fare like the rest of the negro children. I give you a week to consider of it."
He was shrewd; but I knew he was not to be trusted. I told him I was ready to give my answer now.
"I will not receive it now," he replied. "act too much from impulse. Remember that you and your children can be free a week from to-day if you choose."
On what a monstrous chance hung the destiny of my children! I knew that my master's offer was a snare, and that if I entered it escape would be impossible. As for his promise, I knew him so well that I was sure if be gave me free papers, they would be so managed as to have no legal value. The alternative was inevitable. I resolved to go to the plantation. But then I thought how completely I should be in his
