CHAPTER XIV
I see no more those white locks thinly spread Round the bald polish of that honored head: No more that meek, that suppliant look in prayer, Nor that pure faith that gave it force, are there: But he is blest, and I lament no more, A wise good man, contented to be poor. --CRABBE.
We have already said that the customs of America leave the dead but ashort time in sight of the mourners; and the necessity of providing forhis own safety had compelled the peddler to abridge even this briefspace. In the confusion and agitation produced by the events we haverecorded, the death of the elder Birch had occurred unnoticed; but asufficient number of the immediate neighbors were hastily collected, andthe ordinary rites of sepulture were now about to be paid to thedeceased. It was the approach of this humble procession that arrestedthe movements of the trooper and his comrade. Four men supported thebody on a rude bier; and four others walked in advance, ready torelieve their friends from their burden. The peddler walked next thecoffin, and by his side moved Katy Haynes, with a most determined aspectof woe, and next to the mourners came Mr. Wharton and the Englishcaptain. Two or three old men and women, with a few straggling boys,brought up the rear. Captain Lawton sat in his saddle, in rigid silence,until the bearers came opposite to his position, and then, for the firsttime, Harvey raised his eyes from the ground, and saw the enemy that hedreaded so near him. The first impulse of the peddler was certainlyflight; but recovering his recollection, he fixed his eye on the coffinof his parent, and passed the dragoon with a firm step but swellingheart. The trooper slowly lifted his cap, and continued uncovered untilMr. Wharton and his son had moved by, when, accompanied by the surgeon,he rode leisurely in the rear, maintaining an inflexible silence.
Caesar emerged from the cellar kitchen of the cottage, and with a faceof settled solemnity, added himself to the number of the followers ofthe funeral, though with a humble mien and at a most respectful distancefrom the horsemen. The old negro had placed around his arm, a littleabove the elbow, a napkin of unsullied whiteness, it being the only timesince his departure from the city that he had enjoyed an opportunity ofexhibiting himself in the garniture of servile mourning. He was a greatlover of propriety, and had been a little stimulated to this display bya desire to show his sable friend from Georgia all the decencies of aNew York funeral; and the ebullition of his zeal went off very well,producing no other result than a mild lecture from Miss Peyton at hisreturn, on the fitness of things. The attendance of the black wasthought well enough in itself; but the napkin was deemed a superfluousexhibition of ceremony, at the funeral of a man who had performed allthe menial offices in his own person.
The graveyard was an inclosure on the grounds of Mr. Wharton, which hadbeen fenced with stone and set apart for the purpose, by thatgentleman, some years before. It was not, however, intended as a burialplace for any of his own family. Until the fire, which raged as theBritish troops took possession of New York, had laid Trinity in ashes, agoodly gilded tablet on its walls proclaimed the virtues of his deceasedparents, and beneath a flag of marble, in one of the aisles of thechurch, their bones were left to molder in aristocratical repose.Captain Lawton made a movement as if he was disposed to follow theprocession, when it left the highway, to enter the field which containedthe graves of the humble dead, but he was recalled to recollection by ahint from his companion that he was taking the wrong road.
"Of all the various methods which have been adopted by man for thedisposal of his earthly remains, which do you prefer, Captain Lawton?"said the surgeon, as they separated from the little procession. "In somecountries the body is exposed to be devoured by wild beasts; in othersit is suspended in the air to exhale its substance in the manner ofdecomposition; in other regions it is consumed on the funeral pile, and,again, it is inhumed in the bowels of the earth; every people have theirown particular fashion, and to which do you give the preference?"
"All are agreeable," said the trooper, following the group they had leftwith his eyes; "though the speediest interments give the cleanestfields. Of which are you an admirer?"
"The last, as practiced by ourselves, for the other three aredestructive of all the opportunities for dissection; whereas, in thelast, the coffin can lie in peaceful decency, while the remains are madeto subserve the useful purposes of science. Ah! Captain Lawton, I enjoycomparatively but few opportunities of such a nature, to what I expectedon entering the army."
"To what may these pleasures numerically amount in a year?" said thecaptain, withdrawing his gaze from the graveyard.
"Within a dozen, upon my honor; my best picking is when the corps isdetached; for when we are with the main army, there are so many boys tobe satisfied, that I seldom get a good subject. Those youngsters are aswasteful as prodigals, and as greedy as vultures."
"A dozen!" echoed the trooper, in surprise. "Why, I furnish you thatnumber with my own hands."
"Ah! Jack," returned the doctor, approaching the subject with greattenderness of manner, "it is seldom I can do anything with yourpatients; you disfigure them woefully. Believe me, John, when I tell youas a friend that your system is all wrong; you unnecessarily destroylife, and then you injure the body so that it is unfit for the only usethat can be made of a dead man."
The trooper maintained a silence, which he thought would be the mostprobable means of preserving peace between them; and the surgeon,turning his head from taking a last look at the burial, as they rodearound the foot of the hill that shut the valley from their sight,continued with a suppressed sigh,--
"One might get a natural death from that graveyard to-night, if therewas but time and opportunity! The patient must be the father of the ladywe saw this morning."
"The petticoat doctor!--she with the aurora borealis complexion," saidthe trooper, with a smile, that began to cause uneasiness to hiscompanion. "But the lady was not the gentleman's daughter, only hismedico-petticoat attendant; and the Harvey, whose name was made to rimewith every word in her song, is the renowned peddler spy."
"What? He who unhorsed you?"
"No man ever unhorsed me, Dr. Sitgreaves," said the dragoon, gravely. "Ifell by mischance of Roanoke; rider and beast kissed the earthtogether."
"A warm embrace, from the love spots it left on your cuticle; 'tis athousand pities that you cannot find where the tattling rascallies hid."
"He followed his father's body."
"And you let him pass!" cried the surgeon, checking his horse. "Let usreturn immediately, and take him; to-morrow you shall have him hanged,Jack,--and, damn him, I'll dissect him!"
"Softly, softly, my dear Archibald. Would you arrest a man while payingthe last offices to a dead father? Leave him to me, and I pledge myselfhe shall have justice."
The doctor muttered his dissatisfaction at any postponement ofvengeance, but he was compelled to acquiesce, from a regard to hisreputation for propriety; and they continued their ride to the quartersof the corps, engaged in various discussions concerning the welfare ofthe human body.
Birch supported the grave and collected manner that was thought becomingin a male mourner, on such occasions, and to Katy was left the part ofexhibiting the tenderness of the softer sex. There are some people,whose feelings are of such nature that they cannot weep unless it be inproper company, and the spinster was a good deal addicted to thiscongregational virtue. After casting her eyes around the smallassemblage, the housekeeper found the countenances of the few females,who were present, fixed on her in solemn expectation, and the effect wasinstantaneous; the maiden really wept, and she gained no inconsiderablesympathy, and some reputation for a tender heart, from the spectators.The muscles of the peddler's face were seen to move, and as the firstclod of earth fell on the tenement of his father, sending up that dull,hollow sound that speaks so eloquently the mortality of man, his wholeframe was for an instant convulsed. He bent his body down, as if inpain, his fingers worked while the hands hung lifeless by his side, andthere was an expression in his counte
nance that seemed to announce awrithing of the soul; but it was not unresisted, and it was transient.He stood erect, drew a long breath, and looked around him with anelevated face, that even seemed to smile with a consciousness of havingobtained the mastery. The grave was soon filled; a rough stone, placedat either extremity, marked its position, and the turf, whose fadedvegetation was adapted to the fortunes of the deceased, covered thelittle hillock with the last office of seemliness. This office ended,the neighbors, who had officiously pressed forward to offer theirservices in performing their solemn duty, paused, and lifting theirhats, stood looking towards the mourner, who now felt himself to bereally alone in the world. Uncovering his head also, the peddlerhesitated a moment, to gather energy, and spoke.
"My friends and neighbors," he said, "I thank you for assisting me tobury my dead out of my sight."
A solemn pause succeeded the customary address, and the group dispersedin silence, some few walking with the mourners back to their ownhabitation, but respectfully leaving them at its entrance. The peddlerand Katy were followed into the building by one man, however, who waswell known to the surrounding country by the significant term of "aspeculator." Katy saw him enter, with a heart that palpitated withdreadful forebodings, but Harvey civilly handed him a chair, andevidently was prepared for the visit.
The peddler went to the door, and, taking a cautious glance about thevalley, quickly returned, and commenced the following dialogue:--
"The sun has just left the top of the eastern hill; my time presses me:here is the deed for the house and lot; everything is done accordingto law."
The other took the paper, and conned its contents with a deliberationthat proceeded partly from his caution, and partly from the unluckycircumstance of his education having been much neglected when a youth.The time occupied in this tedious examination was employed by Harvey ingathering together certain articles which he intended to include in thestores that were to leave the habitation with himself. Katy had alreadyinquired of the peddler whether the deceased had left a will; and shesaw the Bible placed in the bottom of a new pack, which she had madefor his accommodation, with a most stoical indifference; but as the sixsilver spoons were laid carefully by its side, a sudden twinge of herconscience objected to such a palpable waste of property, and shebroke silence.
"When you marry, Harvey, you may miss those spoons."
"I never shall marry."
"Well, if you don't there's no occasion to make rash promises, even toyourself. One never knows what one may do, in such a case. I should liketo know, of what use so many spoons can be to a single man; for my part,I think it is a duty for every man who is well provided, to have a wifeand family to maintain."
At the time when Katy expressed this sentiment, the fortune of women inher class of life consisted of a cow, a bed, the labors of their ownhands in the shape of divers pillowcases, blankets, and sheets, with,where fortune was unusually kind, a half dozen silver spoons. Thespinster herself had obtained all the other necessaries by her ownindustry and prudence, and it can easily be imagined that she saw thearticles she had long counted her own vanish in the enormous pack, witha dissatisfaction that was in no degree diminished by the declarationthat had preceded the act. Harvey, however, disregarded her opinions andfeelings, and continued his employment of filling the pack, which soongrew to something like the ordinary size of the peddler's burden.
"I'm rather timersome about this conveyance," said the purchaser, havingat length waded through the covenants of the deed.
"Why so?"
"I'm afraid it won't stand good in law. I know that two of the neighborsleave home to-morrow morning, to have the place entered forconfiscation; and if I should give forty pounds, and lose it all,'twould be a dead pull back to me."
"They can only take my right," said the peddler. "Pay me two hundreddollars, and the house is yours; you are a well-known Whig, and you atleast they won't trouble." As Harvey spoke, there was a strangebitterness of manner, mingled with the shrewd care he expressedconcerning the sale of his property.
"Say one hundred, and it is a bargain," returned the man, with a grinthat he meant for a good-natured smile.
"A bargain!" echoed the peddler, in surprise. "I thought the bargainalready made."
"Nothing is a bargain," said the purchaser, with a chuckle, "untilpapers are delivered, and the money paid in hand."
"You have the paper."
"Aye, and will keep it, if you will excuse the money. Come, say onehundred and fifty, and I won't be hard; here--here is just the money."
The peddler looked from the window, and saw with dismay that the eveningwas fast advancing, and knew well that he endangered his life byremaining in the dwelling after dark; yet he could not tolerate the ideaof being defrauded in this manner, in a bargain that had already beenfairly made; he hesitated.
"Well," said the purchaser, rising, "mayhap you can find another man totrade with between this and morning, but if you don't, your title won'tbe worth much afterwards."
"Take it, Harvey," said Katy, who felt it impossible to resist a tenderlike the one before her; for the purchase money was in English guineas.Her voice roused the peddler, and a new idea seemed to strike him.
"I agree to the price," he said; and, turning to the spinster, he placedpart of the money in her hand, as he continued, "Had I other means topay you, I would have lost all, rather than suffer myself to bedefrauded of part."
"You may lose all yet," muttered the stranger, with a sneer, as he roseand left the building.
"Yes," said Katy, following him with her eyes, "he knows your failing,Harvey; he thinks with me, now the old gentleman is gone, you will wanta careful body to take care of your concerns."
The peddler was busied in making arrangements for his departure, and hetook no notice of this insinuation, while the spinster returned again tothe attack. She had lived so many years in expectation of a terminationto her hopes, so different from that which now seemed likely to occur,that the idea of separation began to give her more uneasiness than shehad thought herself capable of feeling, about a man so destitute andfriendless.
"Have you another house to go to?" inquired Katy.
"Providence will provide me with a home."
"Yes," said the housekeeper, "but maybe 'twill not be to your liking."
"The poor must not be difficult."
"I'm sure I'm anything but a difficult body," cried the spinster, veryhastily; "but I love to see things becoming, and in their places; yet Iwouldn't be hard to persuade to leave this place myself. I can't say Ialtogether like the ways of the people hereabouts."
"The valley is lovely," said the peddler, with fervor, "and the peoplelike all the race of man. But to me it matters nothing; all places arenow alike, and all faces equally strange." As he spoke he dropped thearticle he was packing from his hand, and seated himself on a chest,with a look of vacant misery.
"Not so, not so," said Katy, shoving her chair nearer to the place wherethe peddler sat. "Not so, Harvey, you must know me at least; my facecannot be strange to you."
Birch turned his eyes slowly on her countenance, which exhibited more offeeling, and less of self, than he had ever seen there before; he tookher hand kindly, and his own features lost some of their painfulexpression, as he said,--
"Yes, good woman, you, at least, are not a stranger to me; you may do mepartial justice; when others revile me possibly your feelings may leadyou to say something in my defense."
"That I will; that I would!" said Katy, eagerly. "I will defend you,Harvey, to the last drop; let me hear them that dare to revile you! Yousay true, Harvey, I am partial and just to you; what if you do like theking? I have often heard it said he was at the bottom a good man; butthere's no religion in the old country, for everybody allows theministers are desperate bad!"
The peddler paced the floor in evident distress of mind; his eyes had alook of wildness that Katy had never witnessed before, and his step wasmeasured, with a dignity that appalled the housekeeper.
"While my father lived," murmured Harvey, unable to smother hisfeelings, "there was one who read my heart, and oh! what a consolationto return from my secret marches of danger, and the insults and wrongsthat I suffered, to receive his blessing and his praise; but he isgone," he continued, stopping and gazing wildly towards the corner thatused to hold the figure of his parent, "and who is there to dome justice?"
"Why, Harvey! Harvey!"
"Yes, there is one who will, who must know me before I die! Oh! it isdreadful to die, and leave such a name behind me."
"Don't talk of dying, Harvey," said the spinster, glancing her eyearound the room, and pushing the wood in the fire to obtain a light fromthe blaze.
The ebullition of feeling in the peddler was over. It had been excitedby the events of the past day, and a vivid perception of his sufferings.It was not long, however, that passion maintained an ascendency ever thereason of this singular man; and perceiving that the night had alreadythrown an obscurity around objects without doors, he hastily threw hispack over his shoulders, and taking Katy kindly by the hand, inleavetaking,--
"It is painful to part with even you, good woman," he said, "but thehour has come, and I must go. What is left in the house is yours; to meit could be of no use, and it may serve to make you more comfortable.Farewell--we shall meet hereafter."
"In the regions of darkness!" cried a voice that caused the peddler tosink on the chest from which he had risen, in despair.
"What! another pack, Mr. Birch, and so well stuffed so soon!"
"Have you not done evil enough?" cried the peddler, regaining hisfirmness, and springing on his feet with energy. "Is it not enough toharass the last moments of a dying man--to impoverish me; what morewould you have?"
"Your blood!" said the Skinner, with cool malignity.
"And for money," cried Harvey, bitterly. "Like the ancient Judas, youwould grow rich with the price of blood!"
"Aye, and a fair price it is, my gentleman; fifty guineas; nearly theweight of that carcass of yours in gold."
"Here," said Katy, promptly, "here are fifteen guineas, and thesedrawers and this bed are all mine; if you will give Harvey but onehour's start from the door, they shall be yours."
"One hour?" said the Skinner, showing his teeth, and looking with alonging eye at the money.
"But a single hour; here, take the money."
"Hold!" cried Harvey. "Put no faith in the miscreant."
"She may do what she pleases with her faith," said the Skinner, withmalignant pleasure, "but I have the money in good keeping; as for you,Mr. Birch, we will bear your insolence, for the fifty guineas that areto pay for your gallows."
"Go on," said the peddler, proudly; "take me to Major Dunwoodie; he, atleast, may be kind, although just."
"I can do better than by marching so far in such disgraceful company;this Mr. Dunwoodie has let one or two Tories go at large; but the troopof Captain Lawton is quartered some half mile nearer, and his receiptwill get me the reward as soon as his major's. How relish you the ideaof supping with Captain Lawton, this evening, Mr. Birch?"
"Give me my money, or set Harvey free," cried the spinster in alarm.
"Your bribe was not enough, good woman, unless there is money in thisbed." Thrusting his bayonet through the ticking and ripping it for somedistance, he took a malicious satisfaction in scattering its contentsabout the room.
"If," cried the housekeeper, losing sight of her personal danger in carefor her newly-acquired property, "there is law in the land, I willbe righted!"
"The law of the neutral ground is the law of the strongest; but yourtongue is not as long as my bayonet; you had, therefore, best not setthem at loggerheads, or you might be the loser."
A figure stood in the shadow of the door, as if afraid to be seen in thegroup of Skinners; but a blaze of light, raised by some articles thrownin the fire by his persecutors, showed the peddler the face of thepurchaser of his little domain. Occasionally there was some whisperingbetween this man and the Skinner nearest him, that induced Harvey tosuspect he had been the dupe of a contrivance in which that wretch hadparticipated. It was, however, too late to repine; and he followed theparty from the house with a firm and collected tread, as if marching toa triumph, and not to a gallows. In passing through the yard, the leaderof the band fell over a billet of wood, and received a momentary hurtfrom the fall; exasperated at the incident, the fellow sprang on hisfeet, filling the air with execrations.
"The curse of heaven light on the log!" he exclaimed. "The night is toodark for us to move in; throw that brand of fire in yon pile of tow, tolight up the scene."
"Hold!" roared the speculator; "you'll fire the house."
"And see the farther," said the other, hurling the brand in the midstof the combustibles. In an instant the building was in flames. "Come on;let us move towards the heights while we have light to pick our road."
"Villain!" cried the exasperated purchaser, "is this yourfriendship--this my reward for kidnapping the peddler?"
"'Twould be wise to move more from the light, if you mean to entertainus with abuse, or we may see too well to miss our mark," cried theleader of the gang. The next instant he was as good as his threat, buthappily missed the terrified speculator and equally appalled spinster,who saw herself again reduced from comparative wealth to poverty, by theblow. Prudence dictated to the pair a speedy retreat; and the nextmorning, the only remains of the dwelling of the peddler was the hugechimney we have already mentioned.