CHAPTER XVIII.
"The Gordon is gude in a hurry, An' Campbell is steel to the bane, An' Grant, an' Mackenzie, an' Murray, An' Cameron will truckle to name."--HOGG.
The interruption of this scene came from old Holmes, who cried to hiscompanion, on the high key in which it was usual for him to speak:
"This is downright bad, Shabbakuk--we'll never get our leases a'terthis!"
"Nobody can say"--answered Tubbs, giving a loud hem, as if determined tobrazen the matter out. "Maybe the gentleman will be glad to compromisethe matter. It's ag'in law, I believe, for anyone to appear on thehighway disguised--and both the 'Squire Littlepages, you'll notice,neighbor Holmes, be in the very _middle_ of the road, and both wasdisguised, only a minute ago."
"That's true. D'ye think anything can be got out o' that? I wantprofitable proceedin's."
Shabbakuk gave another hem, looked behind him, as if to ascertain whathad become of the Injins, for he clearly did not fancy the real"article" before him, and then he answered:
"We may get our farms, neighbor Holmes, if you'll agree as I'm willin'to do, to be reasonable about this matter, so long as 'Squire Littlepagewishes to hearken to his own interests."
My uncle did not deign to make any answer, but, knowing we had donenothing to bring us within the view of the late statute, he turnedtoward the Indians, renewing his offer to them to be their guide.
"The chiefs want very much to know who you are, and how you two came bydouble scalps," said the interpreter, smiling like one who understood,for his own part, the nature of a wig very well.
"Tell them that this young gentleman is Hugh Littlepage, and that I amhis uncle. Hugh Littlepage is the owner of the land that you see onevery side of you."
The answer was communicated, and we waited for its effect on theIndians. To our surprise, several of them soon gathered around,evidently regarding us both with interest and respect.
"The claims of a landlord seem to be better understood among theseuntutored savages, than among your own tenants, Hugh," said my uncle."But there goes old Holmes, the inbred rogue, and his friend Shabbakuk,back to the woods; we may have an affair on hand with _his_ Injins."
"I think not, sir. It does not appear to me that there is valor enoughin that tribe, to face this. In general, the white man is fully a matchfor the redskin; but it may be doubted whether chiefs like these wouldnot prove too much for twice their number of varlets, of the breed ofyonder skulking scoundrels."
"Why do the chiefs manifest so much interest in us?" asked my uncle, ofthe interpreter. "Is it possible that they pay so much respect to us, onaccount of our connection with this estate?"
"Not at all--not at all. They know the difference between a chief and acommon man well enough, it is true," was the answer; "and twenty times,as we have come down through the country, have they expressed theirsurprise to me, that so many common men should be chiefs, among thepale-faces; but they care nothing for riches. He is the greatest manamong them, who is best on a war-path, and at a council-fire; thoughthey _do_ honor them that has had great and useful ancestors."
"But, they seem to betray some unusual and extraordinary interest in us,too; perhaps they are surprised at seeing gentlemen in such dresses?"
"Lord, sir, what do men care for dresses, that are used to see the headsof factories and forts half the time dressed in skins? They know thatthere be holidays and workin'-days; times for every-day wear, and timesfor feathers and paint. No--no--they look at you both, with so muchinterest, on account of their traditions."
"Their traditions! What can these have to do with us? We have never hadanything to do with Indians."
"That's true of you, and may be true of your fathers; but it's not trueof some of your ancestors. Yesterday, after we had got to our night'sstopping-place, two of the chiefs, this smallish man with the doubleplate on his breast, and that elderly warrior, who has been oncescalped, as you can see by his crown, began to tell of some of thetreacheries of their own tribe, which was once a Canada people. Theelderly chief related the adventures of a war-path, that led out ofCanada, across the large waters, down to a settlement where theyexpected to get a great many scalps, but where in the end they lost morescalps than they found; and where they met Susquesus, the uprightOnondago, as they call him in that tongue, as well as the Yengeese ownerof the land, at this very spot, whom they called by a name somethinglike your own, who was a warrior of great courage and skill by theirtraditions. They suppose you to be the descendants of the last, andhonor you accordingly; that's all."
"And, is it possible that these untutored beings have traditions asreliable as this?"
"Lord, if you could hear what they say among themselves, about the liesthat are read to them out of the pale-face prints, you would l'arn howmuch store they set by truth! In my day, I have travelled through ahundred miles of wilderness, by a path that was no better, nor anyworse, than an Indian tradition of its manner of running; and atradition that must have been at least a hundred summers old. They knowall about your forefathers, and they know something about you, too, ifyou be the gentleman that finds the upright Onondago, or the WitheredHemlock, in his old age, with a wigwam, and keeps it filled with foodand fuel."
"Is this possible! And all this is spoken of, and known among thesavages of the Far West?"
"If you call these chiefs savages," returned the interpreter, a littleoffended at hearing such a term applied to his best friends and constantassociates. "To be sure they have their ways, and so have thepale-faces; but Injin ways be not so very savage, when a body gets alittle used to them. Now, I remember it was a long time before I couldget reconciled to seeing a warrior scalp his enemy; but as I reasoned onit, and entered into the spirit of the practice, I began to feel it wasall right."
I was walking just in front of my uncle, for we were in motion again onour way to the wood, but could not help turning and saying to him with asmile--
"So it would seem that this matter of the 'spirit' is to be found inother places beside the legislature. There is the 'spirit of scalping,'as well as the 'spirit of the institutions!'"
"Ay, Hugh; and the 'spirit of fleecing,' as a consequence of what isprofanely termed the last. But it may be well to go no nearer to thewood than this spot. The Injins I have told you of are in these bushesin front, and they are armed; I leave you to communicate with them inany manner you please. They are about twenty in number."
The interpreter informed his chiefs of what had been said, who spoketogether in earnest consultation for a moment. Then Prairiefire himselfplucked a branch off the nearest bush, and holding it up he advancedclose to the cover, and called out aloud in some one, or in many of thedifferent dialects with which he was acquainted. I saw, by the moving ofthe branches, that men were in the bushes; but no answer of any sort wasmade. There was one savage in our band, who betrayed manifest impatienceat these proceedings. He was a large, athletic Iowa chief, called inEnglish Flintyheart, and, as we subsequently learned, of great renownfor martial exploits. It was always difficult to hold him in when therewas a prospect of scalps, and he was now less restrained than common,from the circumstance of his having no superior of his own particulartribe present. After Prairiefire had called two or three times in vainto the party in the cover, Flintyheart stepped out, spoke a few wordswith energy and spirit, terminating his appeal by a most effective, notto say appalling, whoop. That sound was echoed back by most of the band,when they all broke off, right and left, stealing more like snakes thanbipeds to the fences, under cover of which they glanced forward to thewood, in which every man of them buried himself in the twinkling of aneye. In vain had the interpreter called to them, to remind them wherethey were, and to tell them that they might displease their greatfather, at Washington, and Prairiefire stood his ground, exposed to anyshot the supposed foe might send at him; on they went, like so manyhounds that have struck a scent too strong to be held in restraint byany whipper-in.
"They expect to find Injins," said the interpreter, in a
sort ofdespair; "and there's no holdin' 'em back. There can be no enemies oftheir'n down hereaway, and the agent will be awfully angry if blood isdrawn; though I shouldn't mind it a bit if the party was some of themscoundrels, the Sacs and Foxes, whom it's often a marcy to kill. It'sdifferent down here, however, and I must say I wish this hadn'thappened."
My uncle and myself just waited long enough to hear this when we rushedforward, along the highway, and entered the wood, joined by Prairiefire,who, fancying by our movement that all was right, now raised such awhoop himself as to demonstrate it was not for want of "knowing how"that he had hitherto been silent. The road made a curve at the verypoint where it penetrated the forest, and being fringed with the bushesalready mentioned, the two circumstances shut out the view of what waspassing behind the scenes, until we reached the turn, where a commonhalt of the wagons had been made, when the whole view burst upon us atonce in all its magnificence.
A rout of a "grand army" could scarcely have been more picturesque! Theroad was lined with vehicles in full retreat, to use a military term,or, to speak in the more common parlance, scampering off. Every whip wasin active use, every horse was on the run, while half the faces wereturned behind their owners, the women sending back screams to the whoopsof the savages. As for the Injins, they had instinctively abandoned thewoods, and poured down into the highway--speed like theirs demandingopen ground for its finest display. Some had leaped into wagons, pilingthemselves up among those virtuous wives and daughters of that portionof the honest yeomanry who had collected to devise the means of cheatingme out of my property. But, why dwell on this scene, since the exploitsof these Indians, for the last six years, have amply proved that theonly thing in which they excel, is in running away? They are heroes whena dozen can get round a single man to tar and feather him; valiant, as ahundred against five or six, and occasionally murderers, when eachvictim can be destroyed by five or six bullets, to make sure of him. Thevery cowardice of the scoundrels should render them loathsome to thewhole community; the dog that has spirit only to hunt in packs being curat the bottom.
I must add one other object to the view, however. Holmes and Shabbakukbrought up the rear, and both were flogging their devoted beast as ifhis employers--I dare not call them "masters," as I might be accused ofaristocracy for using so offensive a term in this age of common-senseliberty, while "employers" is a very significant expression for theparticular occasion--as if his "employers," then, had left somethingbehind them, at "Little Neest," and were hurrying back to obtain itbefore it fell into other hands. Old Holmes kept looking behind, as ifchased by the covenants of forty leases, while the "spirit of theinstitutions," headed by two governors, and "the honorable gentlemanfrom Albany," was in full pursuit. If the "spirit of the institutions"was really there, it was quite alone; for I looked in vain for theexhibition of any other spirit. In much less time than it has taken meto write this account, the road was cleared, leaving my uncle, myself,and Prairiefire, in quiet possession; the latter uttering a verysignificant "hugh!" as the last wagon went out of sight in a cloud ofdust.
It was but a moment, however, before our own tribe, or _tribes_ would bemore accurate, came down upon us, collecting in the road at the veryspot where we stood. The victory had been bloodless, but it wascomplete. Not only had the savage Indians completely routed the virtuousand much-oppressed-by-aristocracy Injins, but they had captured twospecimens of virtue and depression in the persons of as many of theband. So very significant and expressive was the manner of thecaptives, that Flintyheart, into whose hands they had fallen, not onlyseemed to hold their scalps in contempt, but actually had disdained todisarm them. There they stood, bundles of calico, resembling children inswaddling-clothes, with nothing partaking of that natural freedom ofwhich their party love to boast, but their legs, which were left atperfect liberty, by way of a _dernier resort_. My uncle now assumed alittle authority, and commanded these fellows to take off theirdisguises. He might as well have ordered one of the oaks, or maples, tolay down its leaves before the season came round; for neither wouldobey.
The interpreter, however, whose name was Manytongues, rendered intoEnglish from the Indian dialects, was a man of surprisingly few words,considering his calling, on an occasion like this. Walking up to one ofthe prisoners, he first disarmed him, and then removed his calico hood,exposing the discomfited countenance of Brigham, Tom Miller's enviouslaborer. The "hughs!" that escaped the Indians were very expressive, onfinding that not only did a pale-face countenance appear from beneaththe covering, but one that might be said to be somewhat paler thancommon. Manytongues had a good deal of frontier waggery about him, and,by this time he began to comprehend how the land lay. Passing his handover Josh's head, he coolly remarked--
"That scalp would be thought more of, in Iowa, than it's ra-ally worth,I'm thinking, if truth was said. But let us see who we have here."
Suiting the action to the words, as it is termed, the interpreter laidhold of the hood of the other captive, but did not succeed in removingit without a sharp struggle. He effected his purpose, assisted by two ofthe younger chiefs, who stepped forward to aid him. I anticipated theresult, for I had early recognized the gore; but great was the surprise;of my uncle when he saw Seneca Newcome's well-known face developed bythe change!
Seneca--or, it might be better now to use his own favorite orthoepy, andcall him Sene_ky_, at once, for he had a particularly sneaking look ashe emerged from under the calico, and this would be suiting the sound toappearances--Seneky, then, was in a "mingled tumult," as it is called,of rage and shame. The first predominated, however, and, as is only toocommon in cases of military disasters, instead of attributing hiscapture to circumstances, the prowess of his enemies, or any fault ofhis own, he sought to mitigate his own disgrace by heaping disgrace onhis comrade. Indeed, the manner in which these men went at each other,as soon as unsacked, reminded me of two game-cocks that are let out oftheir bags within three feet of each other, with this exception--neithercrowed.
"This is all your fault, you cowardly dog," said Seneky, almostfiercely, for shame had filled his face with blood. "Had you kept onyour feet, and not run me down, in your haste to get off, I might haveretreated, and got clear with the rest of them."
This assault was too much for Joshua, who gained spirit to answer by itsrudeness and violence, not to say injustice; for, as we afterwardascertained, Newcome had actually fallen in his eagerness to retreat;and Brigham, so far from being the cause of his coming down, had onlyprevented his getting up, by falling on top of him. In this prostratecondition they had further fallen into the hands of their enemies.
"I want nothin' from you, 'Squire Newcome," answered Joshua quitedecidedly as to tone and manner; "_your_ character is well known, all upand down the country."
"What of my character? What have _you_ got to say ag'in' me or mycharacter?" demanded the attorney-at-law, in a tone of high defiance. "Iwant to see the man who can say anything ag'in' my character."
This was pretty well, considering that the fellow had actually beendetected in the commission of a felony; though I suppose that difficultywould have been gotten over, in a moral sense, by the claim of beingtaken while struggling in defence of human rights, and the "spirit ofthe institutions." The defiance was too much for Brigham's patience, andbeing fully assured, by this time, that he was not in much danger ofbeing scalped, he turned upon Seneca, and cried, with something morethan spirit, with downright rancor:
"You're a pretty fri'nd of the poor man, and of the people, if truthmust be said, an't you? Everybody in the county that's in want of moneyknows what _you_ be, you d----d shaver."
As the last words came out, Seneky's fist went in upon Brigham's nose,causing the blood to flow freely. My uncle Ro now thought it time tointerfere, and he rebuked the irritated lawyer with dignity.
"Why did he call me a d----d shaver, then?" retorted Seneky, still angryand red. "I'll stand _that_ from no man."
"Why, what harm can there be in such a charge, Mr. Newcome? You are amem
ber of the bar, and ought to understand the laws of your country, andcannot stand in need of being told that it has been decided by thehighest tribunal of your State that it is no reproach to be called ashaver! Some of the honorable members of that learned body, indeed, seemto think, on the contrary, that it is matter of commendation andcongratulation. I am ashamed of you, Mr. Newcome--I'm quite ashamed ofyou."
Seneky muttered something, in which I fancied I understood the words"the Court of Errors be d----d," or "the Court of Errors" might go tosome very bad place, which I will not name; but I will not take onmyself that any man of decency could really use such irreverent languageabout a body so truly eminent, though a person in a passion is sometimesdisposed to forget propriety. My uncle now thought it time to put an endto this scene; and, without deigning to enter into any explanation, hesignified to Manytongues his readiness to lead his chiefs to the pointwhere they desired to go.
"As to these two Injins," he added, "their capture will do us no honor;and now we know who they are, they can be taken at any time by thedeputy sheriffs or constables. It is hardly worth while to encumber yourmarch with such fellows."
The chiefs assented to this proposal, too, and we quitted the woods in abody, leaving Seneky and Joshua on the ground. As we subsequentlylearned, our backs were no sooner turned, than the last pitched into thefirst, and pounded him not only until he owned he was "a shaver," butthat he was "a d----d shaver" in the bargain. Such was the man, and suchthe class, that the deluded anti-renters of New York wish to substitute,in a social sense, for the ancient landlords of the country? A prettytop-sheaf they would make to the stack of the community, and admirablywould the grain be kept that was protected by their covering! One wouldlike to see fellows of this moral calibre interpreting _their_covenants; and it would be a useful, though a painful lesson, to see thechange effected for a twelvemonth, in order to ascertain, after thingshad got back into the old natural channel, how many would _then_ wish to"return, like the dog to his vomit, or the sow to her wallowing in themire."
After giving some directions to Manytongues, my uncle and I got into ourwagon and drove up the road, leaving the Indians to follow. Therendezvous was at the Nest, whither we had now determined to proceed atonce and assume our proper characters. In passing the rectory, we foundtime to stop and run in, to inquire after the welfare of Mr. and MissWarren. Great was my joy at learning they had gone on to the Nest, wherethey were all to dine. This intelligence did not tend to lessen thespeed of Miller's horse, or my horse, it would be better to say, for Iam the real owner of everything on the Nest farm, and shall probably soremain, unless the "spirit of the institutions" gets at my propertythere, as well as in other places. In the course of half an hour wedrove on the lawn, and stopped at the door. It will be recollected thatthe Indians had our wigs, which had been left by my uncle and myself intheir hands, as things of no further use to us. Notwithstanding ourdresses, the instant we presented ourselves without these instruments ofdisguise we were recognized, and the cry went through the house andgrounds that "Mr. Hugh had come home!" I confess I was touched with somesigns of interest and feeling that escaped the domestics, as well asthose who belonged out of doors, when they saw me again standing beforethem in health, if not in good looks. My uncle, too, was welcome; andthere were a few minutes during which I forgot all my grounds forvexation, and was truly happy.
Although my grandmother, and sister, and Mary Warren all knew what thecry of "Mr. Hugh has got home" meant, it brought everybody out upon thepiazza. Mr. Warren had related the events of the day, as far as he wasacquainted with them; but even those who were in the secret, weresurprised at our thus returning unwigged, and in our proper characters.As for myself I could not but note the manner in which the four girlscame out to meet me. Martha flew into my embrace, cast her arms aroundmy neck, kissing me six or eight times without stopping. Then MissColebrooke came next, with Ann Marston leaning on her arm, both smiling,though greatly surprised, and both bright, and pretty, and lady-like.They were glad to see me, and met my salutations frankly and like oldfriends; though I could see they did not fancy my dress in the least.Mary Warren was behind them all, smiling, blushing, and shy; but it didnot require two looks from me to make certain that _her_ welcome was assincere as that of my older friends. Mr. Warren was glad to have it inhis power to greet us openly, and to form an acquaintance with those towhose return he had now been looking, with anxiety and hope, for threeor four years.
A few minutes sufficed for the necessary explanations, a part of which,indeed, had already been made by those who were previously in thesecret; when my dear grandmother and Patt insisted on our going up toour old room, and of dressing ourselves in attire more suitable to ourstations. A plenty of summer clothes had been left behind us, and ourwardrobes had been examined that morning in anticipation of our soonhaving need of them, so that no great time was necessary to make thechange. I was a little fuller than when I left home, but the clothesbeing loose, there was no difficulty in equipping myself. I found ahandsome blue dress-coat that did very well, and vests and pantaloons_ad libitum_. Clothing is so much cheaper in Europe than at home, thatAmericans who are well supplied do not often carry much with them whenthey go abroad; and this had been a rule with my uncle all his life.Each of us, moreover, habitually kept a supply of country attire at theNest, which we did not think of removing. In consequence of these littledomestic circumstances, as has been said, there was no want of the meansof putting my uncle and myself on a level with others of our class, asrespects outward appearance, in that retired part of the country, atleast.
The apartments of my uncle and myself were quite near each other, in thenorth wing of the house, or that which looked in the direction of a partof the meadows under the cliff, the wooded ravine, and the wigwam, orcabin of the "Upright Onondago." The last was very plainly in view fromthe window of my dressing-room; and I was standing at the latter,contemplating the figures of the two old fellows, as they sat basking inthe sun, as was their practice of an afternoon, when a tap at the doorproved to be the announcement of the entrance of John.
"Well, John, my good fellow," I said, laughingly; "I find a wig makes agreat difference with your means of recognizing an old friend. I mustthank you, nevertheless, for the good treatment you gave me in mycharacter of a music-grinder."
"I am sure, Mr. Hugh, you are heartily welcome to my services, come asyou may to ask them. It was a most surprisingest deception, sir, as Ishall ever hadmit; but I thought the whole time you wasn't exactly whatyou seemed to be, as I told Kitty as soon as I went down stairs:'Kitty,' says I, 'them two pedlers is just the two genteelest pedlers ashever I see in this country, and I shouldn't wonder if they had knownbetter days.' But, now you have been to see the hanti-renters with yourown eyes, Mr. Hugh, what do you think of them, if I may be so bold as toask the question?"
"Very much as I thought, before I had been to see them. They are a setof fellows who are canting about liberty, at the very moment when theyare doing all they can to discredit its laws, and who mistakeselfishness for patriotism; just as their backers in the Stategovernment are doing, by using the same cant, when their object isnothing but votes. If no tenant had a vote, this question would neverhave been raised, or dreamt of--but I see those two old fellows, Jaafand Sus, seem to enjoy themselves still."
"Indeed they do, sir, in the most surprisingest manner! They was bothantiquities, as we says in Hengland, when I came to this country,sir--and that was before you was born, Mr. Hugh--an age agone. But therethey sits, sir, day in and day out, looking like monumentals of pasttimes. The nigger"--John had been long enough in the country to catchthe vernacular--"The nigger grows uglier and uglier every year, and thatis most of a change I can see in _him_; while I do think, sir, that theIndian grows 'andsomer and 'andsomer. He's the 'andsomest old gentleman,sir, as I know of, far and near!"
"Old _gentleman_!" What an expressive term that was, in this case! Nohuman being would ever think of calling Jaaf an "old gentleman," even inthese "aristrocr
atic" days, when "gentlemen" are plentier thanblackberries; while any one might feel disposed thus to describeSusquesus. The Onondago _was_ a gentleman, in the best meaning of theword; though he may, and certainly did, want a great deal in the way ofmere conventional usages. As for John, he never would have used the wordto me, except in a case in which he felt the party had a claim to theappellation.
"Susquesus is a magnificent sight, with his gray or white head, fieryeyes, composed features, and impressive air," I answered; "and Jaaf isno beauty. How do the old men get on together?"
"Why, sir, they quarrel a good deal--that is, the nigger quarrels;though the Indian is too much above him to mind what he says. Nor will Isay that Yop actually quarrels, sir, for he has the greatest possibleregard for his friend; but he aggravates in the most surprisingestmanner--just like a nigger, howsever, I do suppose."
"They have wanted for nothing, I trust, during my absence. Their tableand other comforts have been seen to carefully, I hope?"
"No fear of that, sir, so long as Mrs. Littlepage lives! She has theaffection of a child for the old men, and has everything provided forthem that they can possibly want. Betty Smith, sir--you remember Betty,the widow of the old coachman, that died when you was at college,sir--well, Betty has done nothing, these four years, but look after themtwo old men. She keeps everything tidy in their hut, and washes it outtwice a week, and washes their clothes for them, and darns, and sews,and cooks, and looks after all their comforts. She lives hard by, in theother cottage, sir, and has everything handy."
"I am glad of that. Does either of the old men ever stray over as far asthe Nest House now, John? Before I went abroad, we had a visit fromeach, daily."
"That custom has fallen away a little, sir; though the nigger comes muchthe oftenest. He is sure to be here once or twice a week, in goodweather. Then he walks into the kitchen, where he will sit sometimes fora whole morning telling the hardest stories, sir--ha, ha, ha!--yes, sir,just the hardest stories one ever heard!"
"Why, what can he have to say of that nature, that it seems to amuse youso?"
"According to his notion, sir, everything in the country is fallingaway, and is inferior like to what it may have been in his young days.The turkeys arn't so large, sir; and the fowls is poorer, sir; and themutton isn't so fat, sir; and sich sort of enormities."
Here John laughed very heartily, though it was plain enough he did notmuch fancy the comparisons.
"And Susquesus," I said, "he does not share in his friend's criticism?"
"Sus never enters the kitchen, sir, at all. He knows that all thequality and upper class come to the great door of the house, and is toomuch of a gentleman to come in at any other entrance. No, sir, I neversaw Sus in the kitchen or hoffices, at all; nor does Mrs. Littlepage'ave his table set anywhere but in the hupper rooms, or on the piazza,when she wishes to treat him to anything nice. The old gentleman haswhat he calls his traditions, sir, and can tell a great many stories ofold times; but they ar'n't about turkeys, and 'orses, and garden-stuff,and such things as Yop dwells on so much, and so uncomfortably."
I now dismissed John, after again thanking him for his civilities to oneof my late appearance, and joined my uncle. When we entered the littledrawing-room, where the whole party was waiting to meet us, previouslyto going to the table, a common exclamation of pleasure escaped themall. Martha again kissed me, declaring I was now Hugh; that I looked asshe had expected to see Hugh; that she would now know me for Hugh, andmany other similar things; while my dear grandmother stood and parted myhair, and gazed into my face with tears in her eyes, for I reminded herof her first-born, who had died so young! As for the other ladies, thetwo heiress-wards of Uncle Ro seemed smiling and friendly, and willingto renew our ancient amicable relations; but Mary Warren still keptherself in the background, though I thought by her modest andhalf-averted eye, and flushed cheeks, that she sympathized as deeply inher friend Patt's present happiness as any of the others; possibly moredeeply.
Before we went to the table I sent a servant to the top of the house,with orders to look down the road, in order to ascertain when my redfriends might be expected. This man reported that they were advancingalong the highway, and would probably reach the door in the course ofhalf an hour. They had stopped; and he thought that he could perceive,by means of his glass, that they were painting their faces, andotherwise arranging their toilets, in preparation for the anticipatedinterview. On receiving this information we took our seats at table,expecting to be ready to receive the chiefs, as soon as they shouldarrive.
Ours was a happy dinner. For the moment, the condition of the countryand the schemes of my tenants were forgotten, and we chatted of thosenearer interests and feelings that naturally presented themselves to ourminds at such a time. At length dear grandmother pleasantlyremarked--"You must have an instinct for the discovery of discretion,Hugh, for no one could have made a better choice of a confidant than youdid, while going to the village this morning."
Mary blushed like an Italian sky at eventide, and looked down, toconceal her confusion.
"I do not know whether it was discretion or vanity, grandmother," was myanswer, "for I am conscious of feeling an unconquerable reluctance topassing for a common music-grinder in Miss Warren's eyes."
"Nay, Hugh," put in the saucy Patt, "I had told you before that youpassed for a very _un_common music-grinder in her eyes. As for thegrinding, she said but little; for it was of the flute, and of themanner in which it was played, that Miss Warren spoke the mosteloquently."
The "Martha!" of Mary Warren, lowly, but half reproachfully uttered,showed that the charming girl was beginning to be really distressed, andmy observant parent changed the discourse by a gentle and adroitexpedient such as a woman alone knows thoroughly how to put in practice.It was simply handing Mr. Warren a plate of greengages; but the act wasso performed as to change the discourse.
During the whole of that meal I felt certain there was a secret,mysterious communication between me and Mary Warren, which, while itprobably did escape the notice of others, was perfectly evident toourselves. This fact I _felt_ to be true; while there was aconsciousness betrayed in Mary's blushes, and even in her averted eyes,that I found extremely eloquent on the same subject.