“Abraham Van Vechten is skilful counsel, and an honest man, and is riot likely to be employed in a cause that rests only on an old woman’s hearsays—­and all to save her own farm!”

Marble could keep silence no longer.  He told me afterwards, that, during the dialogue, he had been taking the measure of the old usurer’s foot, and felt it would be a disgrace to strike so feeble a creature; but, to sit and hear his newly-found mother sneered at, and her just rights derided, was more than his patience could endure.  Rising abruptly, therefore, he broke out at once in one of the plainest philippics of the sea.  I shall not repeat all he said; for, to render it justly, might be to render it offensive; but, in addition to calling old Van Tassel by a great many names that were as unusual as they were quaint, he called him by several that would be familiar to the ears of most of my readers, besides being perfectly well merited.  I allowed his humour to find vent; and, giving the attorney to understand he should hear further from us, I succeeded in getting my companion to the wagon, without coming to blows.  I could see that Van Tassel was very far from being at his ease, and that he would still gladly keep us, if he could, in the hope of bringing about some sort of a compromise, if possible; but I thought it wisest to let matters rest awhile, after the decided demonstration we had already made.

It was not an easy matter to get Marble into the vehicle; but this was no sooner effected, than I trotted him off, down the road, taking the direction of the house where we had been told to seek Kitty Huguenin, old Mrs. Wetmore’s grand-daughter, who would be waiting the appearance of the chaise, in order to return home.

“You must put on a more amicable look,” said I to the mate, as we went on our way, “or you’ll frighten your niece; with whom, you will remember, you are about to make an acquaintance.”

“The cheating vagabond, to take advantage of a poor, lonely, old woman, whose only husband was in the grave, and only son at sea!” the mate continued to mutter.  “Talk about the commandments!  I should like to know what commandment this was breaking.  The whole six, in a batch.”

“The tenth, I am inclined to think, my friend; and that is a commandment broken all day, and every day.”

The denunciations of the mate continued for some time longer, and then went off like the rumbling of distant thunder in the heavens after the passage of the gust.

Chapter IV.

  “No Moorish maid might hope to vie
  With Laila’s cheek, or Laila’s eye;
  No maiden loved with purer truth,
  Or ever loved a lovelier youth.”

  Southey.

“Miles,” said Moses, suddenly, after riding a short distance in silence, “I must quit the old lady, this very night, and go down with you to town.  We must have that money up at the place of sale, in readiness for the vagabond; for, as to letting him have the smallest chance at Willow Grove, that is out of the question.”