'The dark gentleman came and took me away from the house, and I never
saw it again. My old nurse went with me. I was six years old then, and I
lived with her, in a poorer place than before, and not close to the old
house, for we went a long way in a carriage to reach it. We lived
together so till I was near eight years old. The dark gentleman never
came near us--but one day a man came, and said he had bought her, I
think, and she must go with him; and they took her away from me. I clung
to her, but they beat me away. Unseen by them she tied this ribbon with
the locket to it round my neck, and telling me never to part with it,
for it had been my mother's, and would one day bring me rank and
fortune, she went with her new master. A kind old colored woman, who
used to say she was free, took me to her house, and I remember nothing
more until you found me there, but that I hid the locket even from her,
for I was afraid she would take it away, and that the man who took Nurse
away, said, looking at me, "What a pity he is white!"'

The youth had been so intent upon collecting the reminiscences of his
childhood, that he had failed to perceive the effect it had upon his
companion, and the darkness now prevented his face from being seen--but
the agonized sobs that broke from him now and then told that the
fountains of his heart were stirred, and his very soul harrowed up, and
memory had conjured up a series of terrible recollections. Lights were
brought into the room, but all traces of agitation had disappeared, and
his countenance bore only the look of stern, implacable resolve.

'Edward, tell me one thing more. Have you ever seen the dark-haired man
since?'

'Daily, for these ten years almost. I knew him instantly.'