The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
CHAPTER XXVIII.
"Thence cum we to the horrour and the hel, The large great kyngdomes, and the dreadful raygne Of Pluto in his trone where he dyd dwell, The wyde waste places, and the hugye playne: The waylings, shrykes, and sundry sortes of payne.
The syghes, and sobbes, and diep and deadly groane, Earth, ayer, and all resounding playnt and moane." -Sackville.
In this manner did that memorable night wear away. The two wounded menslumbered much of the time; nor did their wants extend beyond occasionaldraughts of water, to cool their feverish mouths, or the wetting oflips. I prevailed on Dus to lie down on the bed of Lowiny, and try toget a little rest; and I had the pleasure to hear her say that she hadslept sweetly for two or three hours, after the turn of the night. Frankand I caught naps, also, after the fashion of soldiers, and Lowiny sleptin her chair, or leaning on her father's bed. As for Prudence, I do notthink her watchfulness was lessened for a single instant. There she satthe livelong night; silent, tearless, moody, and heart-stricken by thegreat and sudden calamity that had befallen her race, but vigilant andattentive to the least movement in the huge frame of her woundedpartner. No complaint escaped her; scarcely once did she turn to look atwhat was going on around her, nor in any manner did she heed aught buther husband. To him she seemed to be unerringly true; and whatever shemay, and must have thought of his natural sternness, and occasional fitsof severity toward herself, all now seemed to be forgotten.
At length light returned, after hours of darkness that seemed to me tobe protracted to an unusual length. Then it was, when Jaap and theIndian were ready to take our places on the watch, that Frank and I wentto one of the huts and lay down for two or three hours; and that was thetime when Dus got her sweetest and most refreshing sleep. Lowinyprepared our morning's meal for us; which we three, that is, Dus, Frankand myself, took together in the best way we could, in the dwelling ofTobit. As for 'Squire Newcome, he left the clearing in the course of thenight, or very early in the morning, doubtless exceedingly uneasy in hisconscience, but still uncertain whether his connection with thesquatters was or was not known to me; the excuse for this movement beingthe probable necessity of summoning a jury; Mr. Jason Newcome filling inhis own person, or by deputy, the several offices and functions ofjustice of the peace, one of the coroners of the county, supervisor ofthe township of Ravensnest merchant, shopkeeper, miller, lumber-dealer,husbandman and innkeeper; to say nothing of the fact that he wrote allthe wills of the neighborhood; was a standing arbitrator when disputeswere "left out to men;" was a leading politician, a patriot by trade,and a remarkable and steady advocate of the rights of the people, evento minutiae. Those who know mankind will not be surprised, after thisenumeration of his pursuits and professions, to hear it added that hewas a remarkable rogue in the bargain.
There are two things I have lived long enough to receive as truthsestablished by my own experience, and they are these; I never knew a manwho made large professions of a love for the people, and of his wish toserve them on all occasions, whose aim was not to deceive them to hisown advantage; and the other is, that I never knew a man who wascompelled to come much in contact with the people, and who at the sametime was personally popular, who had anything in him at the bottom. Butit is time to quit Jason Newcome and his defects of character, in orderto attend to the interesting scene that awaited us in the dwelling ofThousandacres, and to which we were now summoned by Jaap.
As the day advanced, both the Chainbearer and the squatter becamearoused from the languor that had succeeded the receiving of theirrespective hurts, and more or less alive to what was passing aroundthem. Life was ebbing fast in both, yet each seemed, just at thatmoment, to turn his thoughts backward on the world, in order, as itmight be, to take a last look at those scenes in which he had now beenan actor for the long period of threescore-and-ten years.
"Uncle Chainbearer is much revived, just now," said Dus, meeting Frankand myself at the door, "and he has asked for you both; more especiallyfor Mordaunt, whose name he has mentioned three several times within thelast five minutes. 'Send for Mordaunt, my child,' he has said to me,'for I wish to speak with him before I quit you.' I am fearful he hasinward admonitions of his approaching end."
"That is possible, dearest Ursula; for men can hardly lose their hold oflife without being aware of the approaches of death. I will go at onceto his bedside, that he may know I am here. It is best to let his ownfeelings decide whether he is able or not to converse."
The sound of Chainbearer's voice, speaking in a low but distinct tone,caught our ears as we approached him, and we all stopped to listen.
"I say, T'ousantacres," repeated Andries, on a key a little louder thanbefore, "if you hear me, olt man, ant can answer, I wish you to let meknow it. You ant I pe about to start on a fery long journey, ant it istunreasonaple, as well as wicket, to set out wit' pad feelin's at t'eheart. If you hat hat a niece, now, like Dus t'ere, to tell you t'esematters, olt Aaron, it might pe petter for your soul in t'e worlt intowhich we are poth apout to enter."
"He knows it--I'm sure he knows it, and feels it, too," mutteredPrudence, rocking her body as before. "He has had pious forefathers, andcannot have fallen so far away from grace, as to forget death andeternity."
"Look you, Prutence, Aaron nefer coult fall away from what he nefer wastfastenet to. As for pious forefat'ers, t'ey may do to talk apout inFourt' of July orations, put t'ey are of no great account in cleansin' aman from his sins. I s'pose t'em pious forefat'ers of which you speakwas t'e people t'at first steppet on t'e rock town at Plymout'; put, letme telt you, Prutence, hat t'ere peen twice as many of t'em, and hatt'ey all peen twice as goot as you poast of t'eir hafin' peen, it wiltdo no goot to your man, unless he wilt repent, and pe sorry for all t'eunlawful ant wicket t'ings he hast tone in t'is worlt, and his treatmentof pountaries in jin'ral, ant of ot'er men's lants in partic'lar. Piousancestors may pe pleasant to haf, put goot pehavior ist far petter ast'e last hour approaches."
"Answer him, Aaron," the wife rejoined--"answer him, my man, in orderthat we may all of us know the frame of mind in which you take yourdeparture. Chainbearer is a kind-hearted man at the bottom, and hasnever wilfully done us any harm."
For the first time since Andries received his wound, I now heard thevoice of Thousandacres. Previously to that moment, the squatter, whetherhurt or not, had sat in moody silence, and I had supposed after he waswounded that he was unable to use his tongue. To my surprise, however,he now spoke with a depth and strength of voice that at first misled me,by inducing me to think that the injury he had received could not befatal.
"If there wasn't no chainbearers," growled Thousandacres, "therewouldn't be no lines, or metes and bounds, as they call 'em; and wherethere's no metes and bounds, there can be no right of possession. If'twasn't for your writin' titles, I shouldn't be lyin' here, breathin'my last."
"Forgive it all, my man; forgive it all, as behooves a good Christian,"Prudence returned, to this characteristic glance at the past, in whichthe squatter had so clearly overlooked all his own delinquencies, andwas anxious to impute consequences altogether to others. "It is the lawof God to forgive your enemies, Aaron, and I want you to forgiveChainbearer, and not go to the world of spirits with gall in yourheart."
"'Twoult pe much petter, Prutence, if T'ousantacres woult pray to Got toforgif himself," put in Chainbearer. "I am fery willin', ant happy tohaf t'e forgifness of efery man, ant it ist not unlikely t'at I may haftone somet'ing, or sait somet'ing t'at hast peen hart to t'e feelin's ofyour huspant; for we are rough, and plain-speakin', and plain-actin'enough, in t'e woots; so I'm willin' to haf even T'ousantacres'forgifness, I say, and wilt accept it wit' pleasure if he wilt offer it,and take mine in exchange."
A deep groan struggled out of the broad, cavern-like chest of thesquatter. I took it as an admission that he was the murderer of Andries.
"Yes," resumed Chainbearer--"Dus hast mate me see----"
"Uncle!" exclaimed Ursula, who was intently listening,
and who now spokebecause unable to restrain the impulse.
"Yes, yes, gal, it hast peen all your own toin's. Pefore ast you comepack from school, ast we come into t'e woots, all alone like, you hafnefer forgotten to teach an olt, forgetful man his tuty----"
"Oh! uncle Chainbearer, it is not I, but God in his mercy who hasenlightened your understanding and touched your heart."
"Yes, tarlin'; yes, Dus, my tear, I comprehent t'at too; but Got in Hismercy sent an angel to pe his minister on 'art' wit' a poor ignorantTutchman, who hast not t'e l'arnin' ant t'e grace he might ant ought tohave hat, wit'out your ait, and so hast t'e happy change come apout.No--no--T'ousantacres, I wilt not tespise even your forgifness, littleas you may haf to forgif; for it lightens a man's heart of heafy loats,when his time is short, to know he leafs no enemies pehind him. T'ey sayit ist pest to haf t'e goot wishes of a tog, ant how much petter ist itto haf t'e goot wishes of one who hast a soul t'at only wants purifyin',to twell in t'e Almighty's presence t'roughout eternity!"
"I hope and believe," again growled Thousandacres, "that in the worldwe're goin' to, there'll be no law, and no attorneys."
"In t'at, t'en, Aaron, you pe greatly mistaken. T'at lant is all law,ant justice, ant right; t'ough. Got forgif me if I do any man an injury;put to pe frank wit' you, as pecomes two mortals so near t'eir ents, Ido not pelief, myself, t'at t'ere wilt pe a great many attorneys totrouble t'em t'at are receivet into t'e courts of t'e Almighty, himself.T'eir practices on 'arth does not suit t'em for practice in heafen."
"If you'd always held them rational notions, Chainbearer, no harm mighthave come to you, and my life and your'n been spared. But this is astate of being in which short-sightedness prevails ag'in the bestcalkerlations. I never felt more sure of gettin' lumber to market than Ifelt three days ago, of gettin' this that's in the creek, safe toAlbany; and now, you see how it is! the b'ys are disparsed, and maynever see this spot again; the gals are in the woods, runnin' with thedeer of the forest; the lumber has fallen into the hands of the law; andthat, too, by the aid of a man that was bound in honesty to protect me,and I'm dyin' here!"
"Think no more of the lumber, my man, think no more of the lumber," saidPrudence, earnestly; "time is desp'rate short at the best, and yours isshorter than common, even for a man of seventy, while etarnity has noeend. Forgit the boards, and forgit the b'ys, and forgit the gals,forgit 'arth and all it holds----"
"You wouldn't have me forgit you, Prudence," interrupted Thousandacres,"that's been my wife, now, forty long years, and whom I tuck when shewas young and comely, and that's borne me so many children, and hasalways been a faithful and hard-working woman--you wouldn't have meforget _you_!"
This singular appeal, coming as it did from such a being, and almost inhis agony, sounded strangely and solemnly, amid the wild and semi-savageappliances of a scene I can never forget. The effect on Ursula was stillmore apparent; she left the bedside of her uncle, and with strongwomanly sympathy manifested in her countenance, approached that of thisaged couple, now about to be separated for a short time, at least, whereshe stood gazing wistfully at the very man who was probably that uncle'smurderer, as if she could gladly administer to his moral ailings. EvenChainbearer attempted to raise his head, and looked with interest towardthe other group. No one spoke, however, for all felt that the solemnrecollections and forebodings of a pair so situated, were too sacred forinterruption. The discourse went on, without any hiatus, between them.
"Not I, not I, Aaron, my man," answered Prudence, with strong emotionsstruggling in her voice; "there can be no law, or call for _that_. Weare one flesh, and what God has j'ined, God will not keep asunder long.I cannot tarry long behind you, my man, and when we meet together ag'in,I hope 'twill be where no boards, or trees or acres, can ever make moretrouble for us!"
"I've been hardly treated about that lumber, a'ter all," muttered thesquatter, who was now apparently more aroused to consciousness than hehad been, and who could not but keep harping on what had been the onegreat business of his life, even as that life was crumbling beneath hisfeet--"hardly dealt by, do I consider myself, about that lumber,Prudence. Make the most of the Littlepage rights, it was only trees thatthey could any way claim, in reason; while the b'ys and I, as you wellknow, have convarted them trees into as pretty and noble a lot ofhan'some boards and planks as man ever rafted to market!"
"It's convarsion of another natur' that you want now, Aaron, my man;another sort of convarsion is the thing needful. We must all beconvarted once in our lives; at least all such as be the children ofPuritan parents and a godly ancestry; and it must be owned, takin' intoaccount our years, and the importance of example in such a family asour'n, that you and I have put it off long enough. Come it must, orsuthin' worse; and time and etarnity, in your case, Aaron, is prettymuch the same thing."
"I should die easier in mind, Prudence, if Chainbearer would only admitthat the man who chops and hauls, and saws and rafts a tree, does getsome sort of a right, nat'ral or legal, to the lumber."
"I'm sorry, T'ousantacres," put in Andries, "t'at you feel any suchadmission from me necessary to you at t'is awful moment, since I nefercan make it ast an honest man. You hat petter listen to your wife, andget confarted if you can, ant as soon ast you can. You ant I haf put afew hours to lif; I am an olt solder, T'ousantacres, ant haf seen moret'an t'ree t'ousant men shot town in my own ranks, to say nut'in' of t'eranks of t'e enemy; ant wit' so much exper'ence a man comes to know alittle apout wounts ant t'eir tarminations. I gif it ast my chugment,t'erefore, t'at neit'er of us can haf t'e smallest hope to lif t'rought'e next night. So get t'at confarsion as hastily ant ast well ast youcan, for t'ere ist little time to lose, ant you a squatter! T'is ist t'emoment of all ot'ers, T'ousantacres, to proofe t'e true falue ofprofessions, and trates, ant callin's, as well ast of t'e manner inwhich t'eir tuties haf peen fulfillet. It may pe more honoraple ant moreprofitaple to pe a calculating surveyor, ant to unterstant arit'metic,and to pe talket of in t'e worlt for work tone on a large scale; putefen his excellency himself, when he comes to t'e last moments, may peglat t'at t'e temptations of such larnin', ant his pein so t'oroughly anhonest man, toes not make him enfy t'e state of a poor chainpearer; who,if he titn't know much, ant coultn't do much, at least measuret t'e lantwit' fitelity, and tid his work ast well ast he knew how. Yes, yes, oltAaron; get confartet, I tell you; ant shoult Prutence not know enough ofreligion ant her piple, ant of prayin' to Got to haf marcy on your soul,t'ere ist Dus Malpone, my niece, who understants, ant what ist farpetter, who _feels_ t'ese matters, quite as well ast most tominies, antpetter t'an some lazy ant selfish ones t'at I know, who treat t'eirflocks as if t'e Lort meant t'ey wast to pe sheart only, ant who wasttoo lazy to do much more t'an to keep cryin' out--not in t'e worts oft'e inspiret writer--'Watchman, what of t'e night?--watchman, what oft'e night?'--put, 'My pelovet, and most Christian, ant gotly-mintetpeople, pay, pay, pay!' Yes, t'ere ist too much of such afarice antselfishness in t'e worlt, and it toes harm to t'e cause of t'e Safiour;put trut' is so clear ant peautiful an opject, my poor Aaron, t'at efenlies, ant fice, ant all manner of wicketnesses cannot long sully it.Take my atvice, ant talk to Dus; ant t'ough you wilt touptless continueto grow worse in poty, you wilt grow petter in spirit."
Thousandacres turned his grim visage round, and gazed intently andwistfully toward Ursula. I saw the struggle that was going on within,through the clear mirror of the sweet, ingenuous face of my beloved, andI saw the propriety of retiring. Frank Malbone understood my look, andwe left the house together, closing the door behind us.
Two, to me, long and anxious hours succeeded, during most of which timemy companion and myself walked about the clearing, questioning the menwho composed the posse, and hearing their reports. These men were inearnest in what they were doing; for a respect for law is adistinguishing trait in the American character, and perhaps more so inNew England, whence most of these people came, than in any other part ofthe country, the rascality of 'Squire Newcome to the contrary,notwithstanding. Some obs
ervers pretend that this respect for law isgradually decreasing among us, and that in its place, is sensiblygrowing up a disposition to substitute the opinions, wishes, andinterests of local majorities, making the country subject to _men_instead of _principles_. The last are eternal and immutable; and comingof God, men, however unanimous in sentiment, have no more right toattempt to change them, than to blaspheme his holy name. All that themost exalted and largest political liberty can ever beneficially effectis to apply these principles to the good of the human race, in themanagement of their daily affairs; but when they attempt to substitutefor these pure and just rules of right, laws conceived in selfishnessand executed by the power of numbers, they merely exhibit tyranny in itspopular form, instead of in its old aspect of kingly or aristocraticabuses. It is a fatal mistake to fancy that freedom is gained by themere achievement of a right in the people to govern, unless the _manner_in which that right is to be both understood and practised, is closelyincorporated with all the popular notions of what has been obtained.That right to govern means no more than the right of the people to availthemselves of the power thus acquired, to apply the great principles ofjustice to their own benefit, and from the possession of which they hadhitherto been excluded. It confers no power to do that which isinherently wrong, under any pretence whatever; or would anything havebeen gained, had America, as soon as she relieved herself from a swaythat diverted so many of her energies to the increase of the wealth andinfluence of a distant people, gone to work to frame a new polity whichshould inflict similar wrongs within her own bosom.
My old acquaintance, the hearty Rhode Islander, was one of the posse,and I had a short conversation with him, while thus kept out of thehouse, which may serve to let the reader somewhat into the secret of thestate of things at the clearing. We met near the mill, when myacquaintance, whose name was Hosmer, commenced as follows:
"A good day to you, major, and a hearty welcome to the open air!" criedthe sturdy yeoman, frankly but respectfully, offering his hand. "Youfell into a pit here, or into a den among thieves; and it's downrightprovidential you e'er saw and breathed the clear air ag'in! Wa-a-l, I'vebeen trailin' a little this mornin' along with the Injin; and no houndhas a more sartain scent than he has. We went into the hollow along thecreek; and a desp'rate sight of boards them varmints have got into thewater, I can tell you! If the lot's worth forty pounds York, it must beworth every shilling of five hundred. They'd 'a' made their fortin's,every blackguard among 'em. I don't know but I'd fit myself to save somany boards, and sich beautiful boards, whether wrongfully or rightfullylumbered!"
Here the hearty old fellow stopped to laugh, which he did exactly in thefull-mouthed, contented way in which he spoke and did everything else. Iprofited by the occasion to put in a word in reply.
"You are too honest a man, major, to think of ever making your boardsout of another man's trees," I answered. "These people have lived bydishonest practices all their lives, and any one can see what it hascome to."
"Yes, I hope I am, 'Squire Littlepage--I do hope I am. Hard work and Ian't nohow afeard of each other; and so long as a man _can_ work, and_will_ work, Satan don't get a full grip on him. But, as I was sayin',the Trackless struck the trail down the creek, though it was along asomewhat beaten path; but the Injin would make no more of findin' it ina highway, than you and I would of findin' our places in the Bible onSabba'day, where we had left off the Sabba'day that was gone. I alwaysmark mine with a string the old woman braided for me on purpose, and aright-down good method it is; for, while you're s'archin' for your specswith one hand, nothin' is easier than to open the Bible with t'other.Them's handy things to have, major; and, when you marry some great ladydown at York, sich a one as your own mother was, for I know'd her andhonored her, as we all did hereaway--but, when you get married ask yourwife to braid a string for you, to find the place in the Bible with, andall will go right, take an old man's word for it."
"I thank you, friend, and will remember the advice, even though I mighthappen to marry a lady in this part of the world, and not down in York."
"This part of the world? No, we've got nobody our way, that's goodenough for you. Let me see; Newcome has a da'ghter that's _old_ enough,but she's desp'rate humbly (Anglice, homely--the people of New Englandreserve 'ugly' for moral qualities) and wouldn't suit, no how. I don'tthink the Littlepages would overmuch like being warp and fillin' withthe Newcomes."
"No! My father was an old friend--or, an old acquaintance at least, ofMr. Newcome's, and must know and appreciate his merits."
"Yes--yes--I'll warrant ye the gin'ral knows him. Wa-a-l! Human natur'is human natur'; and I do s'pose, if truth must be spoken, none on us behalf as good as we ought to be. We read about faithful stewards in thegood book, and about onfaithful ones too, squire"--here the old yeomanstopped to indulge in one of his hearty laughs, rendering it manifest hefelt the full application of his words. "Wa-a-l, all must allow theBible's a good book. I never open it, without l'arnin' suthin', and whatI l'arn, I strive not to forgit. But there's a messenger for you, major,from Thousandacres' hut, and I fancy it will turn out that he orChainbearer is drawing near his eend."
Lowiny was coming to summon us to the house, sure enough, and I took myleave of my brother major for the moment. It was plain to me that thishonest-minded yeoman, a good specimen of his class, saw through Newcomeand his tricks, and was not unwilling to advert to them. Nevertheless,this man had a fault, and one very characteristic of his "_order_." Hecould not speak _directly_, but would _hint_ round a subject, instead ofcoming out at once, and telling what he had to say; beating the bush tostart his game, when he might have put it up at once, by going in at itdirectly. Before we parted, he gave me to understand that Susquesus andmy fellow, Jaap, had gone on in pursuit of the retreating squatters,intending to follow their trail several miles, in order to make surethat Tobit and his gang were not hanging around the clearing to watchtheir property, ready to strike a blow when it might be least expected.
Dus met me at the door of the cabin, tearful and sad, but with such aholy calm reigning in her generally brilliant countenance, as denotedthe nature of the solemn business in which she had just been engaged.She extended both hands to meet mine, and whispered, "Uncle Chainbeareris anxious to speak to us--on the subject of our engagement, I think itis." A tremor passed through the frame of Ursula, but she made aneffort, smiled sadly, and continued: "Hear him patiently, dear Mordaunt,and remember that he is my father, in one sense, and as fully entitledto my obedience and respect as if I were really his daughter."
As I entered the room, I could see that Dus had been at prayer. Prudencelooked comforted, but Thousandacres himself had a wild and uncertainexpression of countenance, as if doubts had begun to beset him, at thevery moment when they must have been the most tormenting. I observedthat his anxious eye followed the form of Dus, and that he gazed on heras one would be apt to regard the being who had just been the instrumentof awakening within him the consciousness of his critical state. But myattention was soon drawn to the other bed.
"Come near me, Mortaunt, lat; and come hit'er, Dus, my tearest ta'ghterant niece. I haf a few worts of importance to say to you pefore I go,ant if t'ey pe not sait now, t'ey nefer may pe sait at all. It's alwayspest to 'take time py t'e forelock,' t'ey say; ant surely I cannot pecallet in haste to speak, when not only one foot, put pot' feet and halfmy poty in t'e pargain, may well pe sait to pe in t'e grafe. Now listento an olt man's atfice, ant do not stop my worts until all haf peenspoken, for I grow weak fast, ant haf not strength enough to t'row awayany of it in argument.
"Mortaunt hast sait ast much, in my hearin' ast to atmit t'at he lofesant atmires my gal, ant t'at he wishes, ant hopes, ant expects to makeher his wife. On t'e ot'er hant, Ursula, or Dus, my niece, confesses antacknowledges t'at she lofes, ant esteems, ant hast a strong regart forMortaunt, ant ist willin' to pecome his wife. All t'is is nat'ral, antt'ere wast a time when it woult haf mate me ast happy ast t'e tay istlong to hear as much sait py t'e one or t'e ot'er of t'e p
arties. Youknow, my chiltren, t'at my affection for you is equal, ant t'at Iconsiter you, in all respects put t'at of worltly contition, to pe aswell suitet to pecome man ant wife ast any young couple in America. Puttuty is tuty, ant it must pe tischarget. General Littlepage wast my oltcolonel; ant an honest ant an honoraple man himself, he hast efery rightto expect t'at efery one of his former captains, in partic'lar, woult dounto him as t'ey woult haf him do unto t'em. Now, t'ough heafen istheafen, t'is worlt must pe regartet as t'is worlt, ant t'e rules for itsgofernment are to pe respectet in t'eir place. T'e Malpones pe arespectaple family, I know; ant t'ough Dus's own fat'er wast a littlewilt, ant t'oughtless, ant extrafagant----"
"Uncle Chainbearer!"
"True, gal, true; he wast your fat'er, ant t'e chilt shoult respect itsparent. I atmit t'at, ant wilt say no more t'an ist apsolutelynecessary; pesites, if Malpone hat his pat qualities, he hat his goot. Ahantsomer man coult not pe fount, far ant near, ast my poor sister felt,I dares to say; ant he wast prave as a pull-dog, ant generous, antgoot-naturet, ant many persons was quite captivated py all t'ese showyatfantages, ant t'ought him petter ast he really wast. Yes, yes, Dus, mychilt, he hat his goot qualities, as well as his pat. Put, t'e Malponespe gentlemen, as ist seen py Frank, Dus's prother, ant py ot'er mempersof t'e family. T'en my mot'er's family, py which I am relatet to Dus,wast very goot--even petter t'an t'e Coejemans--ant t'e gal is agentlewoman py pirt'. No one can deny t'at; put ploot won't doeferyt'ing. Chiltren must pe fet, and clot'et; ant money ist necessary,a'ter all, for t'e harmony ant comfort of families. I know MatamLittlepage, in partic'lar. She ist a da'ter of olt Harman Mortaunt, whowast a grant gentleman in t'e lant, ant t'e owner of Ravensnest, astwell ast of ot'er estates, and who kept t'e highest company in t'eprofince. Now Matam Littlepage, who hast peen t'us born, ant etucatet,ant associatet, may not like t'e itee of hafin' Dus Malpone, achainpearer's niece, ant a gal t'at hast peen chainpearer herself, forwhich I honor ant lofe her so much t'e more, Mortaunt, lat; put forwhich an ill-chutgin' worlt wilt despise her----"
"My mother--my noble-hearted, right-judging and right-feelingmother--never!" I exclaimed, in a burst of feeling I found it impossibleto control.
My words, manner and earnestness produced a profound impression on myauditors. A gleam of pained delight shot into and out of the countenanceof Ursula, like the passage of the electric spark. Chainbearer gazed onme intently, and it was easy to trace, in the expression of his face,the deep interest he felt in my words, and the importance he attached tothem. As for Frank Malbone, he fairly turned away to conceal the tearsthat forced themselves from his eyes.
"If I coult t'ink ast much--if I coult _hope_ ast much, Mortaunt,"resumed Chainbearer, "it woult pe a plesset relief to my partin' spirit,for I know General Littlepage well enough to pe sartain t'at he ist ajust ant right-mintet man, ant t'at, in t'e long run, he woult seematters ast he ought to see t'em. Wit' Matam Littlepage I fearet it wastifferent; for I haf always hearet t'at t'e Mortaunts was tifferentpeople, ant felt ast toppin' people commonly do feel. T'is makes somechange in my itees, ant some change in my plans. Howsefer, my youngfrients, I haf now to ask of you each a promise--a solemn promise mateto a tyin' man--ant it ist t'is----"
"First hear me, Chainbearer," I interposed eagerly, "before you involveUrsula heedlessly, and I had almost said cruelly, in any incautiouspromise, that may make both our lives miserable hereafter. You yourselffirst invited, tempted, courted me to love her; and now, when I know andconfess her worth, you throw ice on my flame, and command me to do thatof which it is too late to think."
"I own it, I own it, lat, ant hope t'e Lort, in his great marcy, wiltforgif ant parton t'e great mistake I mate. We haf talket of t'ispefore, Mortaunt, ant you may rememper I tolt you it was Dus herself whofirst mate me see t'e trut' in t'e matter, ant how much petter ant morepecomin' it wast in me to holt you pack, t'an to encourage ant leat youon. How comes it, my tear gal, t'at you haf forgot all t'is, ant nowseem to wish me to do t'e fery t'ing you atviset me not to do?"
Ursula's face became pale as death; then it flashed to the brightness ofa summer sunset, and she sank on her knees, concealing her countenancein the coarse quilt of the bed, as her truthful and ingenuous naturepoured out her answer.
"Uncle Chainbearer," she said, "when we first talked on this subject Ihad never seen Mordaunt."
I knelt at the side of Ursula, folded her to my bosom, and endeavored toexpress the profound sentiment of gratitude that I felt at hearing thisingenuous explanation, by such caresses as nature and feeling dictated.Dus, however, gently extricated herself from my arms, and rising, weboth stood waiting the effect of what had just been seen and heard onChainbearer.
"I see t'at natur' is stronger t'an reason, ant opinion, ant custom,"the old man resumed, after a long, meditative pause--"I haf put littletime to spent in t'is matter, howsefer, my chiltren, ant must pring itto a close. Promise me, pot' of you, t'at you will nefer marry wit'outt'e free consent of General Littlepage, ant t'at of olt MatamLittlepage, ant young Matam Littlepage, each or all pein' lifin'."
"I do promise you, uncle Chainbearer," said Dus, with a promptitude thatI could hardly pardon--"I do promise you, and will keep my promise, as Ilove you and fear and honor my Maker. 'Twould be misery to me to enter afamily that was not willing to receive me----"
"Ursula!--dearest--dearest Ursula--do you reflect! Am I, then, nothingin your eyes?"
"It would also be misery to live without you, Mordaunt--but in one caseI should be supported by a sense of having discharged my duty; while inthe other, all that went wrong would appear a punishment for my ownerrors."
I would not promise; for, to own the truth, while I never distrusted myfather or mother for a single instant, I did distrust my dear andvenerable grandmother. I knew that she had not only set her heart on mymarrying Priscilla Bayard; but that she had a passion for making matchesin her own family; and I feared that she might have some of the tenacityof old age in maintaining her opinions. Dus endeavored to prevail on meto promise; but I evaded the pledge; and all solicitations wereabandoned in consequence of a remark that was soon after made byChainbearer.
"Nefer mint--nefer mint, darlint; _your_ promise is enough. So long asyou pe true, what matters it w'et'er Mortaunt is heatstrong or not? Antnow, children, ast I wish to talk no more of t'e matters of t'is worlt,put to gif all my metitations ant language to t'e t'ings of Got, I wiltutter my partin' worts to you. W'et'er you marry or not, I pray AlmightyGot to gif you his pest plessin's in t'is life, ant in t'at which ist tocome. Lif in sich a way, my tear chiltren, as to pe aple to meet t'isawful moment, in which you see me placed, wit' hope ant joy, so t'at wemay all meet hereafter in t'e courts of Heafen. Amen."
A short, solemn pause succeeded this benediction, when it wasinterrupted by a fearful groan, that struggled out of the broad chest ofThousandacres. All eyes were turned on the other bed, which presented amost impressive contrast to the calm scene that surrounded the partingsoul of him about whom we had been gathered. I alone advanced to theassistance of Prudence, who, woman-like, clung to her husband to thelast; "bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh." I must own, however,that horror paralyzed my limbs; and that when I got as far as the footof the squatter's bed, I stood riveted to the place like a rooted tree.
Thousandacres had been raised, by means of quilts, until half his bodylay almost in a sitting position; a change he had ordered during theprevious scene. His eyes were open; ghastly, wandering, hopeless. As thelips contracted with the convulsive twitchings of death, they gave tohis grim visage a species of sardonic grin that rendered it doublyterrific. At this moment a sullen calm came over the countenance, andall was still. I knew that the last breath remained to be drawn, andwaited for it as the charmed bird gazes at the basilisk-eye of thesnake. It came, drawing aside the lips so as to show every tooth, andnot one was missing in that iron frame; when, finding the sight toofrightful for even my nerves, I veiled my eyes. When my hand wasremoved, I caught one glimpse of that dark tenement in which t
he spiritof the murderer and squatter had so long dwelt, Prudence being in theact of closing the glary, but still fiery eyes. I never before hadlooked upon so revolting a corpse, and never wish to see its equalagain.