CHAPTER IV.
A brilliant morning found our collegians refreshed in health and elasticin spirits. The more gloomy fancies of the previous night, which hadbeset Chevillere both in his waking and sleeping hours--like the mistsof the morning, had been dispelled by the bright sunshine, and therefreshing breezes of the bay. After the usual meal had been some timedespatched; and while Chevillere was leisurely turning over the papersof the day (Lamar having departed in pursuit of the Kentuckian) he wassurprised by the entrance of Mr. Brumley (the austere gentleman), whosaluted him with the most friendly greetings of the hour and season, andconcluded by inviting him into their private parlour. It may be readilyimagined that this invitation was not tardily complied with, for he nowimagined that the whole history of the lady would be unravelled by asingle word--so sanguine is youthful hope, and so apt are we, at thatinteresting period, to jump to those conclusions which are desirable,without ever considering the previous steps, and painful delays, andnecessary forms, and conventional usages which inevitably intervenebetween our highest hopes and their fruition. How often would the ardentwishes and the bold hands of youth seize upon futurity, despoiling itof the thin veil which separates us from what we wish to know,especially when this could be learned by dispensing with the accustomedformalities and wholesome restraints of refined society. A train ofkindred thoughts was passing through the mind of Chevillere as he wasushered into a small but elegant saloon, connected with the backchambers by folding-doors, which were now closed. On the left of thedoor, and between the windows opening upon a great thoroughfare, sat thelady who occupied his thoughts. She was sitting, or rather recliningupon one end of a sofa, her head resting upon her hand in a thoughtfulmood. As is true of most daughters of this favoured land, nature hadevidently in nowise been thwarted, either in her mental or physicaleducation. She appeared to possess that naivete which is so apt to bethe result of a mixed town, and country education; with just enough ofself-possession to show that native modesty had been properly regulatedby much good society, but not too much to forbid an occasionalcrimsoning of the neck and face. Her eyes were blue, shaded by long darklashes, and so sparkling and joyous in their expression, that theevident present sorrow which hung over her spirits, could not efface theimpression to a beholder, that they were naturally much more inclined tobeam with mirth and gayety, than to weeping; her features wereregular--arch in their expression, and finely formed--her complexion ofthe finest shade--with a rich profusion of light brown hair, braidedand parted on the forehead without a single curl; her figure was justtall enough to be elegant and graceful, and exhibited the graces of thatinteresting period, when the school-girl is merging into the reservedwoman.
As Chevillere was ushered into the presence of this youthful lady, theold gentleman presented him as Mr. Chevillere, of South Carolina, andthe lady by the name of (his step-daughter) Frances St. Clair; sheassumed the erect position barely long enough to return the salutationof the gentleman, then reclined again and lapsed apparently into her sadmood; for a moment she pressed her handkerchief to her face as if shewould drive away some horrible image, and then waited a moment as if sheexpected her father to speak upon some previously settled subject.Perceiving, however, that she waited in vain, she with some difficultyforced herself to say, "Mr. Chevillere, I requested my father to inviteyou to our apartments to"--here she seemed overpowered and stopped.Chevillere seeing her distress, replied, "Madam, you do me too muchhonour; but I see you are distressed--let me say then, without anyfarther formality, that if there is any way in the world by which I canlighten that distress, command me."
"It is about these very emotions that I would speak," she answered; "Iwas afraid you might think the scene at the breakfast-table two dayssince was got up in some silly girlish affectation, in pretended disgustat the rudeness of the young men present; but believe me when I say,their conduct would at many times in my life have furnished me with anample fund for laughter; it was not in their manners, it was in thesubject of one of their discourses that I felt so much affected--I triedto subdue my feelings, but the more I tried the more they overcame me;the truth is, some painful recollections were awakened"--Here again shecovered her face with her handkerchief, and seemed to be for a momentalmost suffocated. The lady resumed; "Nor should I have thought itproper to offer this explanation to one who is apparently a perfectstranger; but, sir, I have known you for some time by reputation."
"Indeed, madam, I must be indebted to some most flattering mistake formy present good fortune; I am but just emancipated from college wallsand rules, and have, of course, even a reputation to make for myself."
"No! no!" said the youthful lady (a beautiful smile passing swiftly overher sad countenance), "there can be no mistake about it," and drawingfrom her work-bag a small bit of paper, rolled up in the shape of aletter, she presented it to him; adding, "Do you know thathand-writing?"
He gazed upon the signature for an instant, and then exclaimed, "Myhonoured mother's! by all that's fortunate! then indeed we are oldacquaintances--with your permission; and I am perfectly content with thereputation which you spoke of, when I know that it originated in such asource."
"Your mother was indeed a prudent and a modest, but still a devotedherald of your good qualities."
"Believe me, dear lady, that I shall be more proud than ever to appearin your eyes to deserve some small share of her maternal praise; it wasalways inexpressibly dear to me for its own sake, but now I shallendeavour doubly to deserve it. You saw her, I suppose, at the WhiteSulphur Springs?"
"We did, sir; and a most fortunate circumstance it was for me; for beingan invalid, she did every thing for me that my own mother could havedone. Oh! how I regretted that my mother did not come, merely to havemade her acquaintance."
"Your mother! is your mother alive, madam?"
"I hope and trust she is--and well; she was both when we last heard fromher, and that was but a few days since; but your agitation alarms me!you know no bad news of my mother?" laying her hand upon his arm.
"None, madam! none. I don't know what put the foolish idea into my head,but I thought that both your own parents were dead."
"You alarmed me," said she. "I conjured up every dreadful image--Iimagined that you had been commissioned by some of our friends here, tobreak the painful intelligence to me--but you are sure she is well?"
Chevillere smiled, as he answered "You forget that I am a total strangerto her, and she to me."
"True! true! But tell me how you left your charming young cousinVirginia Bell, of whom I heard your mother speak so often. She told me,I think, that she was at some celebrated school in North Carolina?"
"At Salem. She is well, I thank you, or was well when I came through thetown: my mother intends to take her home with her on her return."
"So she told me," said the lady.
"She did not tell you, I suppose, for I believe she does not know, thatI have promised the hand of the dear girl in marriage, though she isscarcely sixteen yet. You must know that I had in college two dear andbeloved friends--the one, Mr. Lamar, you have seen; the other is Mr.Beverley Randolph, of Virginia--we were both class and room-mates.Randolph has gone on a journey through the Southern States, as hepretends; but, I believe, in truth, to take a sly peep at his affiancedbride. If he likes her looks, it is a bargain; and if not, he will passit all off for a college joke." Here he was interrupted by the ladygasping; and on looking in her face, he found she was as pale as marble,and terribly agitated. She asked her father for water, which he handedto her instantly, while Chevillere rang violently at the bell.
"It will all be over in a minute," said she; "it is only a return of thesuffering to which I am subject."
Many strange ideas flitted through Chevillere's mind during thisinterruption of the conversation. He now recollected that one of thesubjects of discourse between the vulgar fops, at the breakfast-tablethe previous morning, had been some runaway marriage--and "the fearfulmarriage and more fearful death" still sounded in his ears, and now th
esame subject again introduced by himself produced like consequences,--hethought it strange and incomprehensible; he cheered himself, however,with the reflection, that his mother was not likely to form an intimacywith persons against whom there was any charge of crime; nay, more, hefelt assured that they must have been well sustained by public opinion,or introduced to her acquaintance by some judicious friend.
"If I have unaptly said any thing offensive, I hope Miss St. Clair willbelieve me, when I say that such a design was the farthest from mythoughts."
"Rest easy on that score," said she; "I am now well again: you saidnothing that it was not proper for you to say, and me to hear, had I notbeen a poor silly-headed girl."
"Well, Miss Frances, I am anxious to hear your opinion of WesternVirginia."
"My opinion is not worth having; but such as it is, you are welcome toit, or rather to such observations as a lady might make. First, then, Iwas delighted with the wild mountain scenery, and the beautiful valleysbetween the mountains; such are those, you will recollect, perhaps, inwhich all of those springs are situated. I doubt very much, whetherSwitzerland, or Spain, could present as many rich and beautifulmountain-scenes, as we have passed between Lexington and the WhiteSulphur and Salt Sulphur springs. We have similar scenes along and amongthe highlands of the Hudson, it is true; perhaps they are more grand andmajestic than these; but then, there is such a stir of busy life, suchan atmosphere of steam, and clouds of canvass, that one is perpetuallycalled back in spirit to the stir and bustle of a city life. But here,among the rugged blue mountains of 'old Virginia,' as these people loveto call it, there are the silence and the solitude of nature, which morebefit such contemplations as the scenes induce. We can seat ourselves inone of the green forests of the mountains we have just left, and imagineours to be the first human footsteps, which have ever been imprintedupon the soil; and we can repose amid the shades and the profound andsolemn silence of those scenes, with a calmness and a serenity, and asoothing, delightful, melancholy feeling, which no other objects canproduce. The very atmosphere seems teeming with these delightfulimpressions; primitive nature seems to have returned upon us with allits balmy delights,--quiet and peacefulness. The profound solitude wouldbecome tiresome, perhaps, to those who have no resources in unison withsuch scenes, or to those who admire and feign to revel in them, becauseit is fashionable just now to do so. But to an educated mind, a naturaland feeling, and I may say devout heart, they furnish inexhaustiblefood for contemplation, and ever-renewing sources of delight andimprovement."
"They are such scenes," replied Chevillere, "as I love to dwell upon,even in imagination. But come, Miss Frances, I see by the hat and mantleupon the table, that I have interrupted some intended promenade; shall Ihave the honour to be of your party?"
"Unquestionably, young gentleman--you may take the whole journey off myhands; Frances was only going out among the shops," said Mr. Brumley.
The plain, but tasteful apparel was soon adjusted, and the youthful pairsallied forth upon the promised expedition.
The tide of human life seems to be ever rolling and tossing, and everrenewing, and then rolling on again. Pestilence, and death, and faminemay do their worst, but the tide is still renewed, and still moves on tothe great sea of eternity.
Who that walks through the busy and thronged streets of a populous city,and sees the gay plumage, the fantastic finery, the smiling faces, andthe splendid equipages, could ever form an adequate idea of the realsuffering and wo, which constitute the sum of one day's pains in a citylife? If all the miserable--the lame, the blind, the poor, the dumb, theaged, and the diseased, could be poured out along one side of the gaypromenades, while fashionables were parading along the other, a muchtruer picture of life in a city would be seen. Such were the ideas ofVictor Chevillere, as he escorted his timid and youthful companionthrough the gay throng from shop to shop.
As they emerged into a part of the city less thronged, interchange ofopinions became more practicable.
"I am impatient to hear your opinion of the Southerns," said Chevillere;"you had the finest opportunity imaginable to see our southernaristocrats at the springs."
"Oh! I was delighted with the little society in which I moved there,"replied she; "and, but for one unhappy, and most untoward circumstancefor me, my enjoyments would have far surpassed any thing which I hadever laid out for myself again in this world."
"You excite my curiosity most strangely," said he; "and, if it would notappear impertinent or intrusive, I should like to know two things:first, what untoward circumstance you speak of? and next, what great barhas been placed between you and happiness, that you should have laid offso small a share for yourself in all time to come?"
"Oh! sir, your questions are painful to me, even to think of; how muchworse then must have been the reality of those circumstances, whichcould poison the small share of happiness which is allotted to us underthe most favourable circumstances. I would gratify your curiosity if Icould, but indeed, indeed, sir, I cannot now relate to you the wholehistory of my life; and nothing less could explain to you the crueltrain of circumstances by which I am surrounded, and from which there isno escape."
"One question you can, and I am sure you will, answer me.
"Could a devoted friend, with a cool head and a resolute hand, effectnothing in freeing you from this persecution?"
"I will answer you, sir, most plainly. You misunderstand my allusions,in the first place; for I am not persecuted now, nor can I say that Ihave been. It may seem enigmatical to you, but it is all that I can inprudence say. There is no person on this side of the grave who canrelieve me from the cause of those emotions which you have unhappilywitnessed; nay, more! if those persons were to rise from the dead, whowere, unfortunately for themselves and for me, the cause of my painfulsituation, my condition would be incomparably worse than it is now."
"Painful, indeed, must those circumstances be, and incomprehensible tome, which seem to have been produced by the death of some one; and yet,if that person should rise from the dead, you would be more miserablethan ever," said Chevillere.
During the latter part of this speech, the lady, as was often hercustom, pressed her handkerchief to her face, as if she would bymechanical pressure drive off disagreeable images from the mind; andthen said, "Now, sir, let us drop this subject."
"One more question, and then I have done; and believe me, it is not idlyasked. Were the circumstances you spoke of developed so recently as yourvisit to the Virginia springs?"
"Oh! by no means, sir; the untoward circumstance there that I spoke of,was the frequent and unexpected presence of one who forcibly reminded meof all the painful particulars; and what made it so much worse was, thatwherever I moved, he moved; he followed the same route round thewatering-places, and seemed purposely to throw himself in my way; andeven now I dread every moment to encounter him; and the more so, as Ihave heard lately that his mind is unsettled. Poor gentleman, I pityhim."
By this time they had arrived in a part of the city from whichWashington's monument could be seen, elevating its majestic column abovea magnificent grove of trees.
"Suppose we extend our walk," said the gentleman, "to yonder beautifulgrove."
To this the lady readily assented. They found rude seats, constructedperhaps by some romantic swain; or by some country-bred youths, who camethere, after the toils of the day, to refresh themselves with the pureand invigorating breezes which sweep the green, fresh from their dearand longed-for homes. Here they seated themselves, to enjoy thisdelightful mixture of town and country.
"This is a noble monument to the great and good father of our Republic;and worthy of the high-minded and public-spirited people of Baltimore,"said Chevillere. "Give me such evidence as this of their veneration forhis memory, and none of your new-fangled nonsense about enshrining himin the hearts of his countrymen. Let him be enshrined in the hearts ofhis countrymen as individuals; but let cities, communities, and statesenshrine him in marble. These speak to the eyes; and hundreds, andtho
usands will stand here, amid these beautiful shades, and think of himwith profound veneration, who would never otherwise look into any otherkind of history. The effect of such works as these is admirable; notonly in showing veneration for the great dead, but also upon the living,in purifying the heart and ennobling its impulses."
"Baltimore, indeed, has set a noble example," said the lady.
"And richly will she be rewarded. A few years hence, the far West willbe brought to her doors; and she will grow up to be a mighty city.Standing on the middle ground, between the angry sectionists of theNorth and the South, she will present a haven in which the rivals maymeet, and learn to estimate each other's good qualities, and bury orforget those errors which are inseparable from humanity. But see! MissSt. Clair," said he, "what a singular looking man is just emerging fromwithin the column!"
"Heavens!" said the lady, in extreme terror, "that is the person! Dotake me from this place! I would not encounter him for the world!"
She was too late; for already had the object of her apprehension caughta glimpse of her person; and no sooner had he done so, than with rapidstrides he advanced directly towards them. The lady shook with terrorand agitation. When he had approached almost in a direct line to withinsome forty or fifty feet, he riveted a long and steady gaze upon thelady, and another of shorter duration upon her companion, still walkingonward. Victor stood and gazed after him until he was entirely withoutthe enclosure.
He was a well-dressed man, apparently about fifty-five years of age,tall, and straight in his carriage as an Indian; his hair was slightlysilvered; his countenance expressed wildness, but was steady andconsistent in the expression of present purpose; his eye was dark anddeep, and, when you looked upon it steadily for a short time, appearedas if you were gazing at two black holes in his head; his complexion wassallow; its characteristics--energy and deep determination.
"And that is the maniac?" said Chevillere, in a half-abstracted mood.
"I said not so," replied the lady; "but he is, indeed, that mostunfortunate man, whose whole business seems to be to haunt me in mytravels; otherwise our meeting has been most strangely accidental anduntoward."
"If he is in ill health," said Victor, "he may have gone to the Springswithout intending to meet you; and now, when the season is nearly over,and he is likewise on his return, there is nothing more natural than hisvisiting this monument--every stranger does so,--do not, therefore,aggravate your distress by supposing these meetings to have been soughton his part. I will endeavour to find him, and demand of him whether heseeks to annoy an unhappy invalid by pursuing her from place to place,and what are his motives."
"Oh! sir, for Heaven's sake, do not think of such a thing. He is apowerful and a fearful man, when in his right mind; and even in hisderangement, might do you some harm, especially if you went ascommissioned by me. Besides, sir, if he was undoubtedly sane andrespectful, he might demand, as a right, to see me, and converse with metoo. Nay, he might possibly have some claim to control my actions; butyou see he does not. Let him alone, therefore, and do not involveyourself in any of my troubles. I am inextricably entangled, andpinioned down to a certain routine of suffering, perhaps unexampled, andthat too by no crime of my own."
"Dear lady," said Chevillere, taking her hand, as he saw her blue eyefilling with tears, and just ready to run over; "you cannot imagine howmuch I feel interested for you; and what I am about to say, as it willrisk your displeasure, is the very best evidence that I can give of mydeep interest in your future peace and contentment. Believe me, dearlady, that though I am young, and may be inexperienced,--I am not anindifferent observer of the secret machinery of men's actions. I havebeen a steady observer and a thinker for myself, without regard to theopinion of individuals or the world, when I was conscious that I wasright, and that they were wrong. Listen to me, then, with patience,while I give you my opinion, with regard to the difficulties which seemto be accumulating around you. Of course, this opinion must be a generalone; as the circumstances upon which it is founded are only such as areof a general character. Nor do I seek for more confidence on your parttowards me; I cannot expect that you should unfold the intimaterelations of your family and your friends to a comparative stranger.This, then, is my (of course vague) opinion--I have generally observed,in my intercourse with mankind, that the most trying situations and thedeepset distress are often brought about by a small mistake--misfortune--or crime in the beginning. The latter of these I would defythe most malignant misanthrope to look upon your countenance and chargeyou with; one of the two former, then, is the point upon which all yourdistress, and ill health, and melancholy hangs. My advice then is, uponthis general view of the case, that you go back to that point, andrectify it as speedily as possible; and do it boldly and fearlessly, asI am sure you can. Burst asunder these chains that fetter you, whateverthey may be."
"I see," said the lady (tears fast stealing down her cheeks), "that I amalways destined to make the same unhappy impression on everyacquaintance, male or female, valued or unvalued. Before I have grownmany degrees in their good opinion, some of these unlucky things areseen to develop themselves, and then I am subject to the greatestmisfortune to which an honourable and a sensitive mind can be exposed;that is, to be supposed weak or wicked, though at the same timeconscious of pure and upright motives. To be plain with you, sir, I musttell you again, that in order for me to be relieved of that whichtrammels me in some shape or other at every step, _the grave must giveup its own; and the law must give up its own; and the avaricious mustannul their decrees; and the dead of half a century must undo theirwork; and the wisdom of the sage must be instilled into the mind of achild; and the slanders, and the wild and wicked fancies of the lunaticmust be convinced by reason or actual demonstration of the foregoingthings_--before the point you speak of can be seized upon, and turned tomy advantage."
"Then, indeed, is it a hard case, and I will not distress you further onthe subject; I will not add my persecution to that of others--I will notsay enemies; for one so young and so artless, so innocent and sounfortunate, can have no enemies."
"And therein consists part of my distress," replied she. "Is it notstrange that I have not an enemy living, to my knowledge, who has everwilfully injured me in word or deed? unless, indeed, it be yon wretchedold man, whose mind is now, and whose heart, I fear, has always beenwrong. Now, sir, let me beg of you, in future, whenever any of theselittle occurrences embarrass me during my stay here, to take no noticeof them whatever; let me move along as quietly and as unobtrusively aspossible. I love the retirement of the country, and to the country andretirement I will go. My mother loves me, and knows all my actions, andtheir motives too; and even my father loves me in his own way. They willbe my companions for the remainder of a short and weary life."
The colloquy was cut short by their return to the hotel.
Lamar, as has been already announced, was a humorous gentleman, andwould not lose an opportunity of enjoying the remarks of one so new tothe busy world and its ways as Damon. He was not long in finding out theretired quarters of the gentleman of the west. At the bar-room heinquired if there was such a lodger in the house.
"No," said the barkeeper (so are these functionaries called), "but he isexpected every minute."
Lamar seated himself near the files of morning papers which lay strewedalong a reading-desk, and awaited the arrival of his singular newacquaintance. In a few minutes Damon stalked in. A new black hat andblue frock-coat had so much altered his appearance, that Lamar did notrecognise him until he took off his hat, wiped his dripping brows withthe handkerchief which he still carried in it, and then, seeing Lamarfor the first time, waved it over his head.
"Hurrah! for old Kentuck!" was his characteristic exclamation.
"Why, Damon, you have been under the tailor's hands," said Lamar.
"I believe I was in Old Sam's hands last night; but come up-stairs, andI will tell you all about it."
They proceeded to the third story into a small apartment, dimly lighted
through a single window. Damon, after seating Lamar, threw aside hiscoat, and drawing from under the head of his bed the one in which Lamarhad first seen him, he quickly inserted his arms through what remainedof the garment,--the lappels were torn off on each side down to thewaist, so that all the front of the coat was gone, leaving nothing butthe long straight back, collar, and sleeves. What remained was smearedwith mud, and torn in many places. He next proceeded to pull out of hispocket a collar, and parts of two sleeves of a shirt, spreading them onthe bed, as a milliner would do her finery; and holding out both hishands with the palms upward in the manner of an orator,----
"There!" said he, "that's what I call a pretty tolerable neat job, toshirt a stranger the first night he comes to town."
Lamar, who by this time began to see a little into the affair, asked,"But, Damon, how did all this happen? you seem to have beendiscomfited."
"Now I'll be smashed if you ain't off the trail, stranger, for you seeI've only showed you half yet."
Upon which he drew from his other pocket a pair of spectacles, bent,bloody, and broken,--then a wig,--and, lastly, the remains of a littleblack rattan with a gold head and chain broken into inches. He displayedthese on the bed as he had done the others; only drawing hishandkerchief as a line between them. Upon this he fell, rather than sat,back into a chair just behind him, and burst out into a loud, long, andhearty laugh, seemingly excited afresh at the sight of his spoils.
"Well, now," said he, "I wish I may be horn swoggled, if ever I thoughtto live to see the day when I should '_sculp_' a Christian man; butthere it is, you see; I left his head as clean as a peeled onion."
"But how? and when? and who was your antagonist in this frolic?"
"Frolic!" exclaimed Damon; "well, now, it's what I would call a regularrow; I never saw a prettier knock down and drag out in all the days ofmy life, even in old Kentuck."
"But do tell me," said Lamar, "was anybody seriously hurt?"
"There was several chaps in the circus last night with their heelsuppermost, besides them suple chaps on the horses; I can tell you that."
"Oh! you were in the circus, were you?"
"Yes; and there was a rip-roaring sight of slight o'hand and tumblinwork there, besides their ground and lofty tumblin they had in thehandbills."
"You did some of the ground tumbling yourself then?" asked Lamar.
"No, I did the slight o'hand work, as you may see by the skin that'sgone off these four marrow-bones."
"And who did the ground tumbling?" asked Lamar.
"There was a good deal done there last night; the chaps in the ring andthe chaps in the pit all did a little at it; flummuck me if I didn'tthink the heels of the whole house would be uppermost before they weredone; what an everlastin pity 'tis, these critters elbows ain't as supleas their heels."
"Then you think all the people of Baltimore a little limber in theheels."
"I can't say as to that; but I wish I may be hackled, if there was notso much flyin up of the heels there last night, that I was fidlin andtumblin all night in my sleep, jumpin through hoops, and tanglin my legsin their long red garters, which the circus riders jumped over; and thenI thought they had my poor old horse, Pete Ironsides, jumpin over bars,and leapin through fiery balloons, until at last they smashed his headright into a tar barrel, and then maybe I didn't fly into a tear downsnortin rage! I was crammed full of fight then, and so I got to slinginmy arms about in my sleep, till I knocked out that head-boardthere,--then I woke up, and I wish I may be hanged if I didn't think itwas all a dream; till I found that the forepart of my coat had run awayfrom the tail, and that I had got an odd collar among my linen. And thenon t'other hand I began to think it was all true, and rung the bell, andsent the nigger down to the stable to see if Pete had his head in a tarbarrel sure enough; presently the nigger came back, grinen and giglin,and said Pete had gone to the country two hours ago; so I run the littlenigger down stairs, and sent my old boots after him to get blacked; andas I was dodgin through that long entry there, I saw the bottles, andtumblers, and lemon-skins; so ho! said I, there's the mad dog that bitme last night."
"Then you _began_ in a frolic at least," said Lamar.
"Only a small breeze or so; a few tumblers of punch, made of thatdoubled and twisted Irish whiskey; it was none of your Kentuck lowwines, run off at a singlin, for I have made many a barrel. It was asstrong as _pison_, and it raised the Irish in me pretty quick, or ratherold Kentuck, for I jumped up and kicked the table over, and brokethings, afore I would have been cleverly primed with the low wines."
"Were you drinking all alone?"
"No; there was half-a-dozen milksops set down; I believe they boardhere; but no sooner had I kicked the table over, and begun to smashthings a little, than they all sneaked out one by one, until they wereall gone but one, and I rather suspicion that he's a blackleg, for hestuck pretty close to me till the row at the circus was over, and thenwhen I had got clear, he come up here with me, and sent for the chap whofurnished me with my new hat and coat; but it wasn't all for nothin, ashe thought, for he presently proposed that we should go down street apiece, and see some fine fellers, he said, who were friends of his, andwho were going to have a night of it. Well, said I, 'a little hair ofthe dog is good for the bite,' and down we went to a large room up fourpair of stairs in a dark alley. And there, sure enough, there was amerry-looking set of fellers; but you see they overdid the job, for Isoon smelt a rat; they most all of 'em pretended to be too etarnaldrunk. I said nothin though, but 'possumed too a little; only sipped alittle wine, and that made me straight instead of crooked. But at lastthey proposed a game of cards. Well, said I, I'm not much of a dabsterat it, but if the stake ain't high, I don't care if I do take a fling ortwo; so down we set to it, and they pulled out their cards for loo.Stop! stop! said I, we must have _new cards_; I never play with othermen's cards. They began to suspicion, maybe, that they had got the wrongsow by the ear, but they sent and got some new packs, and then we tooka smash or two at the game, and I'm a Cherokee if I didn't give 'em atouch or two of old Kentuck. I won all the money they had, but it wasn'tmuch, and they made me pay most of that for the refreshments, as theysaid the winners always paid for them things."
"But you have not yet told me how you got into the row," said Lamar; "Iwish to know the whole story--come, let us have it?"
"Well, it's soon told. As I was telling you, the black-leg chap and Iwent to the circus, and we had'nt set long in the pit before there was ayoung gal come in, and set on one end of the same bench. She was'nt sougly neither, but I took pity on her because she looked like a countrygal, and there was no women settin near her. After a while, three chapscome down from the boxes above, and set right down by the gal, and beganto push one another over against her; at last the one next her, and hewas the same chap you saw in the stage yesterday morning, only he had onthem green specks--well, he put his arm round her, and called her hisdear, and all that; well, you see, I had heard tell of these city gals,and I thought if she was pleased it was none of my business; butpresently I heard her sobbing and crying, with her apron up to her eyes,and she told them they were no gentlemen, or they would not treat a poorgirl so away from home. So the Irish whiskey, or old Kentuck, I don'tknow which, began to rise in my throat. I jumped up and raised thewar-whoop. 'Old Kentuck for ever!' said I; and with that, I took theback of my hand and knocked the chap's hat off, and his 'sculp' wentwith it. Call your soul your own, said I; he jumped up and gin me a wipewith that little black switch across the nose; it had hardly cleverlytouched me, afore I took him a sneezer, between the two eyes, glassesand all; he dropped over like a rabbit when you knock 'em behind thehead; I rather suspicion he thought a two year old colt's heels had gota taste of his cocoanut.
"Then the other two took it up, and both on 'em seized me, and sworethey would carry me to the police office; but I took 'em at crosspurposes, for while one of them held the collar of the old home-made, Ifetched the other a kick that sent him over the benches a rip roaring, Itell you. The
other little chap was hangin on to me like a leech to ahorse's leg; I jist picked him up and throwed him into the ring upon thesand, for I did'nt want to hurt him: but then the real officers come upand clamped me. I wished myself back in old Kentuck bad enough then; butwhile they held me there, like a dog that had been killen sheep, thelittle gal came up to me, and said she would go and bring her father, totry and get me off; and then she asked me where I lived,--I told her inold Kentuck; then she asked me where I put up, and I put my mouth to herear and told her; and I could hardly get it away again without givin hera smack, for she would pass for a pretty gal even in old Kentuck; well,this morning, her and her father were here by times to thank me, and theold man invited me to stop at his house as I go home; it's on the sameroad we came down yesterday."
"Did the girl go to the circus by herself?" asked Lamar.
"No; the old man stopped at the door to buy a ticket, and she went on,and lost him."
"But you have not told me how you came by this scalp," said Lamar,taking up the large black scratch with curled locks.
"Oh! you see, I grabbled that in the scuffle, and slipped it into mypocket."
"How did you get away from the officers?"
"Oh! that's the way I lost the old 'home-made;' you see they began topull me over the benches, and I told 'em I would walk myself if theywould let me, and so they did, but they held on to my coat. I keptpretty cool until they got outside of the house, and then a crowdgathered round, and they began cologueing together, until I saw my wayout a little, and then I jist slipped my foot behind one of 'em andpushed him down, and tumbled the other feller over him, and then Ishowed them a clean pair of heels. They raised the whoop--and I raisedmy tail like a blue-lick buck, for you see I had'nt much coat to keep itdown;--dash me if it was'nt tail all the way to the collar, and stoodout straight behind like it was afraid of my pantaloons. I made a fewturns to throw 'em off the trail, and then with a curly whoop, and ahurrah! for old Kentuck, I got to my own door, where I found theblack-leg chap. Now you know the whole business, and I suppose you cantell me whether there is any danger of their finding me out in thatlittle excuse for a coat that blasted tailor, who was so stingy with hiscloth, made me."
"I should suppose there was none in the world. Have no fear on thathead; there is not a magistrate in town who would not honour you in hisheart for what you did."
"I should think so too, if they had any gals of their own. The fact is,if there was a little knockin down and draggin out once in a while amongthem dandy chaps, they would take better care how they sleeved decentmen's daughters."
"Well, good day, Damon," said Lamar; "send for me or Chevillere if youget into trouble."