Двенадцать лет рабства
Chapter 3
Suchconversations,however,werenotinthehearingofBurch,orthekeeperRadburn. Aspirationssuchasthesewouldhavebroughtdownthelashuponourbacks.
Itisnecessaryinthisnarrative,inordertopresentafullandtruthfulstatementofalltheprincipaleventsinthehistoryofmylife,andtoportraytheinstitutionofSlaveryasIhaveseenandknownit,tospeakofwell-knownplaces,andofmanypersonswhoareyetliving. Iam,andalwayswas,anentirestrangerinWashingtonanditsvicinity—asidefromBurchandRadburn,knowingnomanthere,exceptasIhaveheardofthemthroughmyenslavedcompanions. WhatIamabouttosay,iffalse,canbeeasilycontradicted.
IremainedinWilliams’slavepenabouttwoweeks. Thenightprevioustomydepartureawomanwasbroughtin,weepingbitterly,andleadingbythehandalittlechild. TheywereRandall’smotherandhalf-sister. Onmeetingthemhewasoverjoyed,clingingtoherdress,kissingthechild,andexhibitingeverydemonstrationofdelight. Themotheralsoclaspedhiminherarms,embracedhimtenderly,andgazedathimfondlythroughhertears,callinghimbymanyanendearingname.
Emily,thechild,wassevenoreightyearsold,oflightcomplexion,andwithafaceofadmirablebeauty. Herhairfellincurlsaroundherneck,whilethestyleandrichnessofherdress,andtheneatnessofherwholeappearanceindicatedshehadbeenbroughtupinthemidstofwealth. Shewasasweetchildindeed. Thewomanalsowasarrayedinsilk,withringsuponherfingers,andgoldenornamentssuspendedfromherears. Herairandmanners,thecorrectnessandproprietyofherlanguage—allshowed,evidently,thatshehadsometimestoodabovethecommonlevelofaslave.
