Двенадцать лет рабства

           Itwasconcludedtodelay,trustingthataknowledgeofwhereIwasmighteventuallybeobtained. 

           Ahappyandtouchingscenewaswitnessedimmediatelyuponourreachingthelevee. JustasManningleftthebrig,onhiswaytothepost-office,twomencameupandcalledaloudforArthur. Thelatter,asherecognizedthem,wasalmostcrazywithdelight. Hecouldhardlyberestrainedfromleapingoverthebrig’sside; andwhentheymetsoonafter,hegraspedthembythehand,andclungtothemalong,longtime. TheyweremenfromNorfolk,whohadcomeontoNew-Orleanstorescuehim. Hiskidnappers,theyinformedhim,hadbeenarrested,andwerethenconfinedintheNorfolkprison. Theyconversedafewmomentswiththecaptain,andthendepartedwiththerejoicingArthur. 

           Butinallthecrowdthatthrongedthewharf,therewasnoonewhokneworcaredforme. Notone. Nofamiliarvoicegreetedmyears,norwasthereasinglefacethatIhadeverseen. SoonArthurwouldrejoinhisfamily,andhavethesatisfactionofseeinghiswrongsavenged:myfamily,alas,shouldIeverseethemmore? Therewasafeelingofutterdesolationinmyheart,fillingitwithadespairingandregretfulsense,thatIhadnotgonedownwithRoberttothebottomofthesea. 

           Verysoontradersandconsigneescameonboard. One,atall,thin-facedman,withlightcomplexionandalittlebent,madehisappearance,withapaperinhishand. Burch’sgang,consistingofmyself,Elizaandherchildren,Harry,Lethe,andsomeothers,whohadjoinedusatRichmond,wereconsignedtohim.