The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
CHAPTER XXIII.
"Ye say they all have passed away, That noble race and brave: That their light canoes have vanished From off the crested wave: That 'mid the forests where they roamed There rings no hunter's shout: But their name is on your waters, Ye may not wash it out."--Mrs. Sigourney.
Directing Manytongues to secure the two incendiaries, I sprang into thekitchen to extinguish the flames. It was high time, though Mary Warrenhad already anticipated me here, too. She had actually thrown severaldippers of water upon the fire, which was beginning to crackle throughthe pile of chairs, and had already succeeded in lessening the flames, Iknew that a hydrant stood in the kitchen itself, which gave a fullstream of water. Filling a pail, I threw the contents on the flames; andrepeating the application, in half a minute the room was filled withvapor, and to the bright light succeeded a darkness that was so deep asto suggest the necessity of finding lamps and candles.
The tumult produced by the scene just described soon brought all in thehouse to the spot. The domestics, male and female, came tumbling downthe stairs, under which the fire had been lighted, and presently candleswere seen glancing about the house, in all directions.
"I declare, Mr. Hugh," cried John, the moment he had taken a survey ofthe state of the kitchen, "this is worse than Hireland, sir! TheHamericans affect to laugh at the poor Hirish, and calls their countrysavage, and hunfit to be in'abited, but nothing worse passes in it thanis beginning to pass 'ere. Them stairs would have been all in flames ina few minutes, and them stairs once on fire, not one of hus, up in thehattics, could 'ave escaped death! Don't talk of Hireland, after this!"
Poor John! his prejudices are those of an Englishman of his class, andthat is saying as much in favor of their strength as _can_ be well saidof any prejudices. But how much truth was there in his remark! The quietmanner in which we assume superiority, in morals, order, justice, andvirtue, over all other nations, really contains an instructive lesson,if one will only regard things as they really are. I have no wish toexaggerate the faults of my own country, but certainly I shall notremorselessly conceal them, when the most dangerous consequences areconnected with such a mistake. As a whole, the disorders, disturbances,and convulsions of America have certainly been much fewer than those ofmost, perhaps of all other Christian nations, comparing numbers, andincluding the time since the great experiment commenced. But such_ought_ to have been the result of our facts, quite independently ofnational character. The institutions leave nothing for the masses tostruggle for, and famine is unknown among us. But what does the otherside of the picture exhibit? Can any man point to a country in Europe inwhich a great political movement has commenced on a principle asbarefacedly knavish as that of transferring property from one class ofmen to another. That such a project does exist here, is beyond all justcontradiction; and it is equally certain that it has carried its devicesinto legislation, and is fast corrupting the government in its mostefficient agents. John was right in saying we ought not to turn up ournoses at the ebullitions of abused and trodden-on "Hireland," while ourown skirts are to be cleared of such sins against the plainest dictatesof right.
The fire was extinguished, and the house was safe. The kitchen was sooncleared of the steam and smoke, and in their places appeared a cloud ofredskins. Prairiefire, Eaglesflight, and Flintyheart, were all there,examining the effects of the fire, with stern and interestingcountenances. I looked round for Mary Warren; but that gentle andsingularly feminine girl, after manifesting a presence of mind anddecision that would have done honor to a young man of her own age, hadshrunk back with sensitive consciousness, and now concealed herselfamong the others of her sex. Her duty, so eminently useful andprotective, had been performed, and she was only anxious to have it allforgotten. This I discovered only next day, however.
Manytongues had secured the incendiaries, and they were now in thekitchen, also, with their hands tied together, and arms bound behindtheir backs, at the elbows.
As their faces remained black, it was out of my power to recognizeeither. The rascal who had been felled by the blow of the rifle was yetconfused in manner, and I ordered the domestics to wash him, in thedouble expectation of bringing him more completely to his senses, and ofascertaining who he might be.
The work was soon done, and both objects were attained. The cook used adishcloth with so much dexterity, that the blackamoor came out a whiteman, at the first application, and he was soon as clean as a child thatis about to be sent to school, fresh from the hands of its nurse. Theremoval of the disguise brought out the abashed and frightenedphysiognomy of Joshua Brigham, Miller's hired man--or _my_ hired man, ineffect, as I paid him his wages.
Yes! such was one of the effects of the pernicious opinions that hadbeen so widely circulated in the land, during the profound moral maniathat was working its ravages among us, with a fatality and danger thatgreatly exceed those which accompanied the cholera. A fellow, who wasalmost an inmate of my family, had not only conspired with others to robme of my property, on a large scale, but he had actually carried hisplot so far as to resort to the brand and the rifle, as two of theagents to be employed in carrying out his virtuous objects. Nor was thisthe result of the vulgar disposition to steal; it was purely aconsequence of a widely-extended system, that is fast becomingincorporated with the politics of the land, and which men, relying onthe efficacy of majorities, are bold enough to stand up, in legislativehalls, to defend.[28]
[Footnote 28: In order that the reader who is not familiar with what ispassing in New York may not suppose that exaggerated terms are hereused, the writer will state a single expedient of the anti-renters inthe Legislature to obtain their ends. It is generally known that theConstitution of the United States prevents the separate States frompassing laws impairing the obligations of contracts. But for thisprovision of the Federal Constitution, it is probable, numbers wouldhave succeeded, long ago, in obtaining the property of the few on theirown terms, amid shouts in honor of liberty! This provision, however, hasproved a stubborn obstacle, until the world, near the middle of thenineteenth century, has been favored with the following notable schemeto effect the ends of those who "want farms and must have them." TheState _can_ regulate, by statute, the laws of descents. It has,accordingly, been solemnly proposed in the Legislature of New York, thatthe statute of descents should be so far altered, that when a landlord,holding lands subject to certain leasehold tenures, dies, or a descentis cast, that it shall be lawful for the tenants, on application to thechancellor, to convert these leasehold tenures into mortgages, and toobtain the fee-simple of the estates in payment of the debt! In otherwords, A leases a farm to B forever, reserving a ground-rent, withcovenants of re-entry, etc., etc. B wishes a deed, but will not pay A'sprice. The United States says the contract shall not be impaired, andthe Legislature of New York is illustrated by the expedient we havenamed, to get over the provision of the Constitution!
Since writing the foregoing, this law has actually passed the Assembly,though it has not been adopted by the Senate. The provision included allleased property, when the leases were for more than twenty-one years, orwere on lives.--EDITOR.]
I confess that the discovery of the person of Joshua Brigham rendered mea little curious to ascertain that of his companion. Hester, the cook,was directed to take the other child in hand, as soon as she had wellwiped the countenance of the one first unmasked. Nothing loath, the goodhousewife set about her task, and the first dab of water she appliedrevealed the astounding fact that I had again captured Seneca Newcome!It will be remembered, that the last time I saw these two men together,I left them fighting in the highway.
I admit that this discovery shocked me. There never had been a being ofthe Newcome tribe, from the grandfather, who was its root at Ravensnest,down to Opportunity, who had ever been esteemed or respected among us.Trick--trick--trick--low cunning, and overreaching management, had beenthe family trait, from the day Jason, of that name, had rented the milllot, down to the present hour. This I had heard fro
m my grandfather, mygrandmother, my own father, my uncle, my aunts and all, older thanmyself, who belonged to me. Still, _there_ they had been, and habit hadcreated a sort of feeling for them. There had, also, been a species ofpretension about the family, which brought them more before us, thanmost of the families of the tenantry. The grandfather had received asort of an education, and this practice had been continued, after amanner, down to the unfortunate wretch who now stood a prisoner taken_flagrante delictu_, and for a capital crime. Seneca could never havemade a gentleman, as the term is understood among gentlemen; but hebelonged to a profession which ought to raise a man materially above thelevel of the vulgar. Opportunity, too, had received her _quasi_education, a far more pretending one than that of my own Patt, butnothing had been well taught to her; not even reading, inasmuch as shehad a decided provincial pronunciation, which sometimes grated on mynerves. But, Opportunity had feelings, and could not have anticipatedher own brother's intentions, when she communicated the importantinformation she had. Opportunity, moreover, had more refinement thanSeneca, in consequence of having a more limited association, and shemight fall into despair, at this unexpected result of her own acts!
I was still reflecting on these things, when summoned to my grandmother.She was in her own dressing-room, surrounded by the four girls; just somany pictures of alarm, interest, and female loveliness. Mary Warrenalone, was in regular _toilette_; but the others, with instinctivecoquetry, had contrived to wrap themselves up, in a way to render themhandsomer than ever. As for my dear grandmother herself, she had beentold that the house was safe, but felt that vague desire to see me, thatwas perhaps natural to the circumstances.
"The state of the country is frightful," she said, when I had answered afew of her questions, and had told her who the prisoners really were;"and we can hardly remain here, in safety. Think of one of theNewcomes--and of Seneca, in particular, with his profession andeducation, being engaged in such a crime!"
"Nay, grandmother," put in Patt, a little archly, "I never yet heard youspeak well of the Newcomes; you barely tolerated Opportunity, in thehope of improving her."
"It is true that the race is a bad one, and the circumstances show whatinjury a set of false notions, transmitted from father to son, forgenerations, may do in a family. We cannot think of keeping these deargirls here, one hour after to-morrow, Hugh. To-morrow, or to-day, for itis now past two o'clock, I see;--to-day is Sunday, and we can go tochurch; to-night we will be watchful, and Monday morning your uncleshall start for Satanstoe, with all three of the girls."
"I shall not leave my dear grandmother," rejoined Patt--"nor do I thinkit would be very kind to leave Mary Warren behind us, in a place likethis."
"I cannot quit my father," said Mary herself, quietly, but very firmly."It is his duty to remain with his parishioners, and more so, now thatso many of them are misguided, than at any other time; and it is alwaysmy duty and my pleasure to remain with _him_."
Was that acting? Was that Pharisaical! Or was it genuine nature; purefilial affection and filial piety? Beyond all question, it was the last;and, had not the simple tone, the earnest manner, and the almost alarmedeagerness, with which the dear girl spoke, proclaimed as much, no onecould have looked in at that serene and guileless eye and doubted. Mygrandmother smiled on the lovely earnest speaker, in her kindest manner,took her hand, and charmingly observed--
"Mary and I will remain together. Her father is in no danger, for evenanti-renters will respect a minister of the gospel, and can be made tounderstand it is his duty to rebuke even their sins. As for the othergirls, I think it is our duty to insist that your uncle's wards, atleast, should no longer be exposed to dangers like those we have gonethrough to-night."
The two young ladies, however, protested in the prettiest mannerpossible, their determination not to quit "grandmamma," as theyaffectionately termed their guardian's mother; and while they were thusemployed, my uncle Ro entered the room, having just paid a visit to thekitchen.
"Here's a charming affair!" exclaimed the old bachelor, as soon as inour midst. "Arson, anti-rentism, attempts at murder, and all sorts ofenormities, going hand in hand, in the very heart of the wisest and bestcommunity that earth ever knew; and the laws as profoundly asleep thewhole time, as if such gentle acts were considered meritorious. Thisoutdoes repudiation twenty-fold, Hugh."
"Ay, my dear sir, but it will not make a tithe of the talk. Look at thenewspapers that will be put into your hands to-morrow morning, freshfrom Wall and Pine and Ann Streets. They will be in convulsions, if someunfortunate wight of a senator speak of adding an extra corporal to aregiment of foot, as an alarming war-demonstration, or quote the fall ofa fancy stock that has not one cent of intrinsic value, as if itbetokened the downfall of a nation; while they doze over this volcano,which is raging and gathering strength beneath the whole community,menacing destruction to the nation itself, which is the father ofstocks."
"The intense selfishness that is uppermost is a bad symptom, certainly;and no one can say to what it will lead. One thing is sure; it causesmen to limit all their calculations to the present moment; and, to abatea nuisance that presses on our existing interests, they will jeopardeverything that belongs to the future. But what are we to do with SenecaNewcome, and his co-rascal, the other incendiary?"
"I had thought of referring that to your discretion, sir. They have beenguilty of arson, I suppose, and must take their chances, like every-daycriminals."
"Their chances will be very good ones, Hugh. Had _you_ been caught inSeneca Newcome's kitchen, setting fire to his house, condign andmerciless punishment would have been _your_ lot, beyond all controversy;but _their_ cases will be very different. I'll bet you a hundred thatthey'll not be convicted; and a thousand that they are pardoned, ifconvicted."
"Acquitted, sir, will be out of the question--Miss Warren and I saw themboth, in the very act of building their fire; and there is plenty oftestimony, as to their identity."
This indiscreet speech drew every eye on my late companion; all theladies, old and young, repeating the name of "Mary!" in the prettymanner in which the sex express surprise. As for Mary, herself, the poorblushing girl shrunk back abashed, ashamed of she knew not what, unlessit might be in connection with some secret consciousness, at findingherself so strangely associated with me.
"Miss Warren is, indeed, in her evening dress," said my grandmother, alittle gravely, "and cannot have been in bed this night. How has thishappened, my dear?".
Thus called on, Mary Warren was of too guileless and pure a mind, tohesitate in telling her tale. Every incident, with which she had beenconnected, was simply and clearly related, though she suppressed thename of our midnight visitor, out of tenderness to Opportunity. Allpresent were too discreet to ask the name, and, I may add, all presentheard the narrative with a marked and approving interest. When Mary haddone, my grandmother kissed her, and Patt, the generous creature,encircled her waist, with the tenderness and affection of a sister, whofelt for all the trials the other had endured.
"It seems, then, we owe our safety to Mary, after all!" exclaimed mygood grandmother; "without her care and watchfulness, Hugh might, mostprobably _would_, have remained on the lawn, until it was too late tosave the house, or us."
"That is not all," added uncle Ro. "Any one could have cried 'fire,' orgiven a _senseless_ alarm, but it is evident from Miss Warren's account,unpremeditated and artless as it is, that, but for the cool and discreetmanner in which she played her part, not one-half of that which has beendone, would have been effected, and that the house might have been lost.Nay, had these fellows surprised Hugh, instead of Hugh's surprisingthem, we might have been called on to deplore his loss."
I saw a common shudder in Patt and Mary, as they stood encircling eachother with their arms; but the last was evidently so pained, that Iinterfered for her relief.
"I do not see any possibility of escape for these incendiaries,"
I said, turning to my uncle, "under the testimony that can be offered,and am surpri
sed to hear you suggest a doubt of the result of thetrial."
"You feel and reason like a very young man, Hugh; one who fancies thingsare much nearer what they ought to be than facts will sustain. Justiceis blind, nowadays, not as a proof of impartiality, but as a proof thatshe too often sees only one side of a question. How will they escape?Perhaps the jury may fancy setting fire to a pile of wood and certainchairs, is not setting fire to a house, let the _animus_ be as plain asthe noses on their faces. Mark me, Hugh Littlepage; one month will notgo by, before the events of this very night will be tortured into anargument in favor of anti-rentism."
A common exclamation, in which even my grandmother joined, expressed thegeneral dissent from this opinion.
"It is all very well, ladies," answered my uncle Ro, coolly--"all wellenough, Master Hugh; but let the issue tell its own story. I have heardalready _other_ abuses of the anti-renters urged as a reason why thelaws should be changed, in order that men may not be tempted beyondtheir strength; and why not use the same reasoning in favor of thiscrime when it has been used already, in cases of murder? 'The leaseholdtenures make men commit murder,' it is said, 'and they ought to bedestroyed themselves.' 'The leasehold tenures make men commit arson,' itwill now be said, 'and who desires to retain laws that induce men tocommit arson?'"
"On the same principle it might be pretended there should be no suchthing as personals, as they tempt men, beyond what they can bear, tocommit petty larceny."
"No doubt it could, and no doubt it _would_, if political supremacy wereto be the reward. There is nothing--no fallacy, no moral sophism, thatwould not be used to attain such an end. But it is late, and we ought tobethink us of disposing of the prisoners for the night--what means thislight? The house is not on fire, after all?"
Sure enough, notwithstanding the close shutters, and drawn curtains ofmy grandmother's dressing-room, an unusual light had penetrated to theplace, filling us with sudden and intense alarm. I opened the door andfound the passages illuminated, though all within appeared tranquil andsafe. There was a clamor in the court, however, and presently thefearful warwhoop of the savages rose on the night air. The cries camefrom without, as I fancied, and rushing to the little door, I was on thelawn in a moment, when the mystery was solved. An extensive hay-barn,one well filled with the remainder of the last year's crops, was onfire, sending its forged and waving tongues of flame at least a hundredfeet into the air. It was merely a new argument against the leaseholdtenures, and in favor of the "spirit of the institutions," a littlevividly pressed on the human senses. Next year, it may figure in themessage of a governor, or the philanthropical efforts of some Albanyorator, if the same "spirit" prevail in the "institutions," as wouldseem to prevail this! Is a contract to be tolerated which inducesfreemen to set barns on fire?
The barn that had been set on fire stood on the flats, below the cliff,and fully half a mile away from the Nest. The conflagration made a mostbrilliant blaze, and, as a matter of course, produced an intense light.The loss to myself did not exceed a few hundred dollars; and, while thisparticular argument in favor of anti-rentism was not entirely agreeable,it was not so grave as it might have been, had it been urged on otherbuildings, and in the same mode. In other words, I was not so muchdistressed with my loss as not to be able to see the beauty of thescene; particularly as my uncle Ro whispered that Dunning had caused aninsurance to be effected in the Saratoga Mutual Assurance, which wouldprobably place a considerable portion of the tenants in the unlooked-forcategory of those who were to pay for their own frolic.
As it was too late to think of saving the barn and ricks, and Miller,with his people, had already descended to the spot to look after thefences, and any other object that might be endangered by the flyingembers, there was nothing for us to do but to remain passive spectators.Truly, the scene was one worthy of being viewed, and is not altogetherunfit for description.
The light of that burning barn extended for a great distance, shininglike what it was, an "_evil_ deed in a naughty world;" for,notwithstanding the high authority of Shakespeare, it is your "evildeeds," after all, that produce the brightest blazes, and which throwtheir beams the farthest, in this state of probation in which we live.
The most remarkable objects in that remarkable scene were the true andthe false redskins--the "Indians" and the "Injins"--both of whom were inmotion on the meadows, and both of whom were distinctly visible to uswhere we stood, on the cliffs (the ladies being at their chamberwindows), though I dare say they were not quite so obvious to eachother.
The Indians had formed themselves into a very open order, and wereadvancing toward the other party in a stealthy manner, by creeping onall-fours, or crouching like catamounts to the earth, and availingthemselves of everything like a cover that offered. The burning barn wasbetween the two parties, and was a principal reason that the "Injins"were not sooner aware of the risk they ran. The last were a whooping,shouting, dancing, leaping band, of some forty or fifty of the"disguised and armed," who were quite near enough to the conflagrationto enjoy it, without being so near as to be necessarily connected withit. We understood their presence and antics to be intended as so manyintimations of the secret agency they had had in the depredations of thenight, and as so many warnings how I withstood the "spirit of theinstitutions."
Manytongues, who had certain vague notions of the necessity of hiskeeping on the windy side of the law, did not accompany his redbrethren, but came through the gateway and joined my uncle and myself,as we stood beneath the cover of a noble chestnut, on the verge of thecliff, watching the course of things on the meadow. I expressed mysurprise at seeing him there, and inquired if his presence might not beneeded by Flintyheart or Prairiefire.
"Not at all, not at all, colonel," he answered with perfect coolness."The savages have no great need of an intarpreter in the business theyare on; and if harm comes of the meetin', it's perhaps best that the twoparties should not understand each other, in which case it might all belooked on as an accident. I hope they'll not be particular aboutscalps--for I told Flintyheart, as he was leaving us, the people of thispart of the world did not like to be scalped."
This was the only encouragement we received from the interpreter, whoappeared to think that matters were now in the right train, and thatevery difficulty would soon be disposed of, _secundum artem_. TheInjins, however, viewed the affair differently, having no wish for aserious brush with any one; much less with enemies of the knowncharacter of redskins. How they ascertained the presence of their foe Icannot say, though it is probable some one saw them stealing along themeadows, in spite of all their care, and gave the alarm. Alarm it was,sure enough; the party of the previous day scarce retreating through thewoods with greater haste than the "disguised and armed" now vanished.
Such has been the fact, as respects these men, in every instance inwhich they have been brought in contact with armed bodies, though muchinferior to their own in numbers. Fierce enough, and even brutal, on avariety of occasions in which individuals have become subject to theirpower, in all cases in which armed parties, however small, have beensent against them, they have betrayed timidity and a dread of makingthat very appeal to force, which, by their own previous acts, they hadinsolently invited. Is it then true, that these soi-disant "Injins" havenot the ordinary courage of their race, and that they are less thanAmericans with arms in their hands, and below the level of all aroundthem in spirit? Such is not the case. The consciousness of guilt hasmade them cowards; they have found "that the king's name is a tower ofstrength," and have shrunk from conflicts, in which the secret warningsthat come from on high have told them that they were embodied in awicked cause, and contending for the attainment of wrong ends byunjustifiable means. Their conduct proves how easy it would have been tosuppress their depredations at the earliest day, by a judiciousapplication of the power of the State, and how much _they_ have toanswer for who have neglected their duty in this particular.
As soon as Flintyheart and his followers ascertained that the "disguisedand arm
ed" were actually off again, and that they were not to pass themorning in a skirmish, as no doubt each man among them had hoped wouldbe the case, they set up such whoops and cries as had not been heard onthose meadows during the last eighty years. The period went beyond thememory of man since Indian warfare had existed at Ravensnest, a fewfalse alarms in the Revolution excepted. The effect of these yells wasto hasten the retreat, as was quite apparent to us on the cliffs; butthe sagacious warriors of the prairies knew too much to expose theirpersons by approaching nearer to the blazing barn than might be prudent.On the contrary, seemingly satisfied that nothing was to be done, anddisdaining a parade of service where no service was to be effected, theyslowly retired from the meadows, regaining the cliffs by means known tothemselves.
This military demonstration, on the part of our red brethren, was notwithout its useful consequences. It gave the "Injins" an intimation ofwatchfulness, and of a readiness to meet them that prevented any newalarm that night, and satisfied everybody at the Nest that our immediatedanger had come to an end. Not only was this the feeling of my uncle andmyself, but it was also the feeling of the females, as we found onreturning to the house, who had witnessed all that passed from the upperwindows. After a short interview with my grandmother, she consented toretire, and preparations were made for setting a lookout, and dismissingeverybody to their beds again. Manytongues took charge of the watch,though he laughed at the probability of there being any furtherdisturbance that night.
"As for the redskins," he said, "they would as soon sleep out under thetrees, at this season of the year, as sleep under a roof; and as forwaking--cats a'nt their equals. No--no--colonel; leave it all to me, andI'll carry you through the night as quietly as if we were on theprer-ies and living under good wholesome prer-ie law."
"As quietly, as if we were on the prairies!" We had then reached thatpass in New York, that after one burning, a citizen might really hope topass the remainder of his night as quietly as if he were on theprairies! And there was that frothy, lumbering, useless machine, calleda government, at Albany, within fifty miles of us, as placid, asself-satisfied, as much convinced that this was the greatest people onearth, and itself their illustrious representatives, as if the disturbedcounties were so many gardens of Eden, before sin and transgression hadbecome known to it! If it was doing anything in the premises, it wasprobably calculating the minimum the tenant should pay for thelandlord's land, when the latter might be sufficiently worried to partwith his estate. Perhaps it was illustrating its notions of liberty, bynaming the precise sum that one citizen ought to accept, in order thatthe covetous longings of another should be satisfied!
I was about to retire to my bed, for the first time that night, when myuncle Ro remarked it might be well to see one of our prisoners at least.Orders had been given to unbind the wretched men, and to keep them in anempty store-room which had no available outlet but the door. Thither wethen repaired, and of course were admitted by the sentinels, without aquestion. Seneca Newcome was startled at my appearance, and I confess Iwas myself embarrassed how to address him, from a wish to say nothingthat might appear like exultation on one side, or concession on theother. My uncle, however, had no such scruples, probably from betterknowing his man; accordingly, he came to the point at once.
"The evil spirit must have got great ascendency in the country, SenecaNewcome, when men of your knowledge dip so deeply into his designs,"said Mr. Littlepage, sternly. "What has my nephew ever done to inciteyou to come into his house, as an incendiary, like a thief in thenight?"
"Ask me no questions, Mr. Littlepage," surlily replied the attorney,"for I shall answer none."
"And this miserable misguided creature who has been your companion. Thelast we saw of these two men, Hugh, they were quarrelling in thehighway, like cat and dog, and there are signs about their faces thatthe interview became still more hostile than it had been, after we leftthem."
"And here we find them together, companions in an enterprise of life anddeath!"
"It is ever thus with rogues. They will push their quarrels toextremities, and make them up in an hour, when the demon of rapinepoints to an object for common plunder. You see the same spirit inpolitics, ay, and even in religion. Men that have lived in hostility forhalf their lives, contending for selfish objects, will suddenly combinetheir powers to attain a common end, and work together like the mosttrue-hearted friends, so long as they see a chance of effecting theirwishes. If honesty were only one-half as active as roguery, it wouldfare better than it does. But the honest man has his scruples; hisself-respect; his consistency, and, most of all, his principles, to markout his course, and he cannot turn aside at each new impulse, like yourpure knave, to convert enemies into friends, and friends into enemies.And you," turning to Josh Brigham, who was looking surlily on--"who haveactually been eating Hugh Littlepage's bread, what has he done, that youshould come at midnight, to burn him up like a caterpillar in thespring?"
"He has had his farm long enough"--muttered the fellow--"It's time thatpoor folks had some chance."
My uncle shrugged his shoulders; then, as if he suddenly recollectedhimself, he lifted his hat, bowed like a thoroughbred gentleman as hewas, when he chose to be, wished Seneca good-night, and walked away. Aswe retired, he expressed his conviction of the uselessness ofremonstrance, in this case, and of the necessity of suffering the law totake its own course. It might be unpleasant to see a Newcome actuallyhanged, but nothing short of that operation, he felt persuaded, wouldever fetch up the breed in its evil courses. Wearied with all that hadpassed, I now went to bed, and slept soundly for the succeeding sevenhours. As the house was kept quiet by orders, everybody repaired thelost time, the Nest being as quiet as in those days in which the lawruled in the republic.