` Mas ' r St. Clare promised me my freedom , Miss Feely , ' he said . ` He told me that he had begun to take it out for me . And now , perhaps , if you would be good enough to speak about it to missis , she would feel like going on with it . Seeing it was Mas ' r St. Clare 's wish , she might . ' ` I 'll speak for you , Tom , and do my best , ' said Miss Ophelia . ' I have n't much hope , but I will try . ' So Miss Ophelia asked Mrs. St. Clare to set Tom free . ` Indeed , I shall do no such thing , ' she replied . ` Tom is worth more than any of the other slaves . I could n't afford to lose so much money . Besides , what does he want with his freedom ? He is a great deal better off as he is . ' ` But he does want it very much , ' replied Miss Ophelia . ` And his master promised it to him . ' ' I dare say he does want it , ' replied Mrs. St. Clare . ` They all want it . Just because they are a discontented set , always wanting what they have n't got . ' ` But Tom is so good and gentle , and such a splendid worker . If you sell him there is the chance of his getting a bad master . ' ` Oh , I have no fear about that .
Most masters are good , in spite of all the talk people make about it , ' XXXXX Mrs. St. Clare .
Seeing getting promised replied said sell speak told want wanting