Двенадцать лет рабства

           Heendeavoredtocheermeup,promisingtoreturnthedaybeforeChristmas,andifnointelligencewasreceivedinthemeantime,somefurtherstepwouldbeundertakentoeffectourdesign. Heexhortedmetokeepupmyspirits—torelyuponhiscontinuedeffortsinmybehalf,assuringme,inmostearnestandimpressivelanguage,thatmyliberationshould,fromthenceforth,bethechiefobjectofhisthoughts. 

           Inhisabsencethetimepassedslowlyindeed. IlookedforwardtoChristmaswithintenseanxietyandimpatience. Ihadaboutgivenuptheexpectationofreceivinganyanswertotheletters. Theymighthavemiscarried,ormighthavebeenmisdirected. PerhapsthoseatSaratoga,towhomtheyhadbeenaddressed,werealldead; perhaps,engagedintheirpursuits,theydidnotconsiderthefateofanobscure,unhappyblackmanofsufficientimportancetobenoticed. MywholereliancewasinBass. ThefaithIhadinhimwascontinuallyre-assuringme,andenabledmetostandupagainstthetideofdisappointmentthathadoverwhelmedme. 

           SowhollywasIabsorbedinreflectinguponmysituationandprospects,thatthehandswithwhomIlaboredinthefieldoftenobservedit. PatseywouldaskmeifIwassick,andUncleAbram,andBob,andWileyfrequentlyexpressedacuriositytoknowwhatIcouldbethinkingaboutsosteadily. ButIevadedtheirinquirieswithsomelightremark,andkeptmythoughtslockedcloselyinmybreast.