Cassy had often revolved, for hours, all possible
or probable schemes of escape, and dismissed them
all, as hopeless and impracticable; but at this moment
there flashed through her mind a plan, so simple and
feasible in all its details, as to awaken an instant
hope.
“Father Tom, I’ll try it!” she said,
suddenly.
“Amen!” said Tom; “the Lord help
ye!”
The Stratagem
“The way of the wicked is as darkness; he knoweth
not at what he stumbleth."*
* Prov. 4:19.
The garret of the house that Legree occupied, like
most other garrets, was a great, desolate space, dusty,
hung with cobwebs, and littered with cast-off lumber.
The opulent family that had inhabited the house in
the days of its splendor had imported a great deal
of splendid furniture, some of which they had taken
away with them, while some remained standing desolate
in mouldering, unoccupied rooms, or stored away in
this place. One or two immense packing-boxes,
in which this furniture was brought, stood against
the sides of the garret. There was a small window
there, which let in, through its dingy, dusty panes,
a scanty, uncertain light on the tall, high-backed
chairs and dusty tables, that had once seen better
days. Altogether, it was a weird and ghostly place;
but, ghostly as it was, it wanted not in legends among
the superstitious negroes, to increase it terrors.
Some few years before, a negro woman, who had incurred
Legree’s displeasure, was confined there for
several weeks. What passed there, we do not say;
the negroes used to whisper darkly to each other;
but it was known that the body of the unfortunate
creature was one day taken down from there, and buried;
and, after that, it was said that oaths and cursings,
and the sound of violent blows, used to ring through
that old garret, and mingled with wailings and groans
of despair. Once, when Legree chanced to overhear
something of this kind, he flew into a violent passion,
and swore that the next one that told stories about
that garret should have an opportunity of knowing
what was there, for he would chain them up there for
a week. This hint was enough to repress talking,
though, of course, it did not disturb the credit of
the story in the least.
Gradually, the staircase that led to the garret, and
even the passage-way to the staircase, were avoided
by every one in the house, from every one fearing
to speak of it, and the legend was gradually falling
into desuetude. It had suddenly occurred to Cassy
to make use of the superstitious excitability, which
was so great in Legree, for the purpose of her liberation,
and that of her fellow-sufferer.
The sleeping-room of Cassy was directly under the
garret. One day, without consulting Legree, she
suddenly took it upon her, with some considerable
ostentation, to change all the furniture and appurtenances
of the room to one at some considerable distance.
The under-servants, who were called on to effect this
movement, were running and bustling about with great
zeal and confusion, when Legree returned from a ride.
