CHAPTER V
"Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made, And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' th' heel; There was no link to color Peter's hat, And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing; There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory." --Shakespeare.
After winding along the side of the mountain, the road, on reaching thegentle declivity which lay at the base of the hill, turned at a rightangle to its former course, and shot down an inclined plane, directlyinto the village of Templeton. The rapid little stream that we havealready mentioned was crossed by a bridge of hewn timber, whichmanifested, by its rude construction and the unnecessary size of itsframework, both the value of Labor and the abundance of materials. Thislittle torrent, whose dark waters gushed over the limestones thatlined its bottom, was nothing less than one of the many sources of theSusquehanna; a river to which the Atlantic herself has extended an armin welcome. It was at this point that the powerful team of Mr. Jonesbrought him up to the more sober steeds of our travellers. A small hillwas risen, and Elizabeth found herself at once amidst the incongruousdwellings of the village. The street was of the ordinary width,notwithstanding the eye might embrace, in one view, thousands and tensof thousands of acres, that were yet tenanted only by the beasts of theforest. But such had been the will of her father, and such had also metthe wishes of his followers. To them the road that made the most rapidapproaches to the condition of the old, or, as they expressed it, thedown countries, was the most pleasant; and surely nothing could lookmore like civilization than a city, even if it lay in a wilderness! Thewidth of the street, for so it was called, might have been one hundredfeet; but the track for the sleighs was much more limited. On eitherside of the highway were piled huge heaps of logs, that were dailyincreasing rather than diminishing in size, notwithstanding the enormousfires that might be seen through every window.
The last object at which Elizabeth gazed when they renewed theirjourney, after their encountre with Richard, was the sun, as it expandedin the refraction of the horizon, and over whose disk the dark umbrageof a pine was stealing, while it slowly sank behind the western hills.But his setting rays darted along the openings of the mountain he wason, and lighted the shining covering of the birches, until their smoothand glossy coats nearly rivalled the mountain sides in color. Theoutline of each dark pine was delineated far in the depths of theforest, and the rocks, too smooth and too perpendicular to retain thesnow that had fallen, brightened, as if smiling at the leave-taking ofthe luminary. But at each step as they descended, Elizabeth observedthat they were leaving the day behind them. Even the heartless butbright rays of a December sun were missed as they glided into the coldgloom of the valley. Along the summits of the mountains in the easternrange, it is true, the light still lingered, receding step by step fromthe earth into the clouds that were gathering with the evening mist,about the limited horizon, but the frozen lake lay without a shadow onits bosom; the dwellings were becoming already gloomy and indistinct,and the wood-cutters were shouldering their axes and preparing toenjoy, throughout the long evening before them, the comforts of thoseexhilarating fires that their labor had been supplying with fuel.They paused only to gaze at the passing sleighs, to lift their caps toMarmaduke, to exchange familiar nods with Richard, and each disappearedin his dwelling. The paper curtains dropped behind our travellers inevery window, shutting from the air even the firelight of the cheerfulapartments, and when the horses of her father turned with a rapid whirlinto the open gate of the mansion-house, and nothing stood before herbut the cold dreary stone walls of the building, as she approached themthrough an avenue of young and leafless poplars, Elizabeth felt as ifall the loveliness of the mountain-view had vanished like the fancies ofa dream. Marmaduke retained so much of his early habits as to rejectthe use of bells, but the equipage of Mr. Jones came dashing through thegate after them, sending its jingling sounds through every cranny of thebuilding, and in a moment the dwelling was in an uproar.
On a stone platform, of rather small proportions, considering the sizeof the building, Richard and Hiram had, conjointly, reared four littlecolumns of wood, which in their turn supported the shingled roofs of theportico--this was the name that Mr. Jones had thought proper to give toa very plain, covered entrance. The ascent to the platform was by fiveor six stone steps, somewhat hastily laid together, and which the frosthad already begun to move from their symmetrical positions, But theevils of a cold climate and a superficial construction did not endhere. As the steps lowered the platform necessarily fell also, and thefoundations actually left the super structure suspended in the air,leaving an open space of a foot between the base of the pillars and thestones on which they had originally been placed. It was lucky for thewhole fabric that the carpenter, who did the manual part of the labor,had fastened the canopy of this classic entrance so firmly to the sideof the house that, when the base deserted the superstructure in themanner we have described, and the pillars, for the want of a foundation,were no longer of service to support the roof, the roof was able touphold the pillars. Here was, indeed, an unfortunate gap left in theornamental part of Richard's column; but, like the window in Aladdin'spalace, it seemed only left in order to prove the fertility of itsmaster's resources. The composite order again offered its advantages,and a second edition of the base was given, as the booksellers say,with additions and improvements. It was necessarily larger, and it wasproperly ornamented with mouldings; still the steps continued to yield,and, at the moment when Elizabeth returned to her father's door, a fewrough wedges were driven under the pillars to keep them steady, and toprevent their weight from separating them from the pediment which theyought to have supported.
From the great door which opened into the porch emerged two or threefemale domestics, and one male. The latter was bareheaded, but evidentlymore dressed than usual, and on the whole was of so singular a formationand attire as to deserve a more minute description. He was about fivefeet in height, of a square and athletic frame, with a pair of shouldersthat would have fitted a grenadier. His low stature was rendered themore striking by a bend forward that he was in the habit of assuming,for no apparent reason, unless it might be to give greater freedomto his arms, in a particularly sweeping swing, that they constantlypractised when their master was in motion. His face was long, of afair complexion, burnt to a fiery red; with a snub nose, cocked into aninveterate pug; a mouth of enormous dimensions, filled with fine teeth;and a pair of blue eyes, that seemed to look about them on surroundingobjects with habitual contempt. His head composed full one-fourth of hiswhole length, and the cue that depended from its rear occupied another.He wore a coat of very light drab cloth, with buttons as large asdollars, bearing the impression of a "foul anchor." The skirtswere extremely long, reaching quite to the calf, and were broad inproportion. Beneath, there were a vest and breeches of red plush,somewhat worn and soiled. He had shoes with large buckles, and stockingsof blue and white stripes.
This odd-looking figure reported himself to be a native of the county ofCornwall, in the island of Great Britain. His boyhood had passed inthe neighborhood of the tin mines, and his youth as the cabin-boy ofa smuggler, between Falmouth and Guernsey. From this trade he had beenimpressed into the service of his king, and, for the want of a better,had been taken into the cabin, first as a servant, and finally assteward to the captain. Here he acquired the art of making chowder,lobster, and one or two other sea-dishes, and, as he was fond of saying,had an opportunity of seeing the world. With the exception of one or twooutports in France, and an occasional visit to Portsmouth, Plymouth, andDeal, he had in reality seen no more of mankind, however, than if he hadbeen riding a donkey in one of his native mines. But, being dischargedfrom the navy at the peace of '83, he declared that, as he had seen allthe civilized parts of the earth, he was inclined to make a trip to thewilds of America We will not trace him in his brief wanderings, underthe influence of that spirit of emigration that some times induces adapper Cockney to quit his home, and lands him, before the soun
dof Bow-bells is out of his ears, within the roar of the cataract ofNiagara; but shall only add that at a very early day, even beforeElizabeth had been sent to school, he had found his way into the familyof Marmaduke Temple, where, owing to a combination of qualities thatwill be developed in the course of the tale, he held, under Mr.Jones, the office of major-domo. The name of this worthy was BenjaminPenguillan, according to his own pronunciation; but, owing to amarvellous tale that he was in the habit of relating, concerning thelength of time he had to labor to keep his ship from sinking afterRodney's victory, he had universally acquired the nick name of Ben Pump.
By the side of Benjamin, and pressing forward as if a little jealousof her station, stood a middle-aged woman, dressed in calico, ratherviolently contrasted in color with a tall, meagre, shapeless figure,sharp features, and a somewhat acute expression of her physiognomy. Herteeth were mostly gone, and what did remain were of a tight yellow. Theskin of her nose was drawn tightly over the member, to hang in largewrinkles in her cheeks and about her mouth. She took snuff in suchquantities as to create the impression that she owed the saffron ofher lips and the adjacent parts to this circumstance; but it was theunvarying color of her whole face. She presided over the female partof the domestic arrangements, in the capacity of housekeeper; was aspinster, and bore the name of Remarkable Pettibone. To Elizabeth shewas an entire stranger, having been introduced into the family since thedeath of her mother.
In addition to these, were three or four subordinate menials, mostlyblack, some appearing at the principal door, and some running from theend of the building, where stood the entrance to the cellar-kitchen.
Besides these, there was a general rush from Richard's kennel,accompanied with every canine tone from the howl of the wolf-dog tothe petulant bark of the terrier. The master received their boisteroussalutations with a variety of imitations from his own throat, when thedogs, probably from shame of being outdone, ceased their out-cry. Onestately, powerful mastiff, who wore round his neck a brass collar,with "M. T." engraved in large letters on the rim, alone was silent.He walked majestically, amid the confusion, to the side of the Judge,where, receiving a kind pat or two, he turned to Elizabeth, who evenstooped to kiss him, as she called him kindly by the name of "OldBrave." The animal seemed to know her, as she ascended the steps,supported by Monsieur Le Quoi and her father, in order to protecther from falling on the ice with which they were covered. He lookedwistfully after her figure, and when the door closed on the whole party,he laid himself in a kennel that was placed nigh by, as if consciousthat the house contained some thing of additional value to guard.
Elizabeth followed her father, who paused a moment to whisper a messageto one of his domestics, into a large hall, that was dimly lighted bytwo candies, placed in high, old-fashioned, brass candlesticks. The doorclosed, and the party were at once removed from an atmosphere that wasnearly at zero, to one of sixty degrees above. In the centre of the hallstood an enormous stove, the sides of which appeared to be quiveringwith heat; from which a large, straight pipe, leading through theceiling above, carried off the smoke. An iron basin, containing water,was placed on this furnace, for such only it could be called, in orderto preserve a proper humidity in the apartment. The room was carpeted,and furnished with convenient, substantial furniture, some of which wasbrought from the city, the remainder having been manufactured by themechanics of Templeton. There was a sideboard of mahogany, inlaid withivory, and bearing enormous handles of glittering brass, and groaningunder the piles of silver plate. Near it stood a set of prodigioustables, made of the wild cherry, to imitate the imported wood of thesideboard, but plain and without ornament of any kind. Opposite to thesestood a smaller table, formed from a lighter-colored wood, through thegrains of which the wavy lines of the curled maple of the mountainswere beautifully undulating. Near to this, in a corner, stood a heavy,old-fashioned, brass-faced clock, incased in a high box, of the darkhue of the black walnut from the seashore. An enormous settee, or sofa,covered with light chintz, stretched along the walls for nearly twentyfeet on one side of the hail; and chairs of wood, painted a lightyellow, with black lines that were drawn by no very steady hand, wereranged opposite, and in the intervals between the other pieces offurniture. A Fahrenheit's thermometer in a mahogany case, and with abarometer annexed, was hung against the wall, at some little distancefrom the stove, which Benjamin consulted, every half hour, withprodigious exactitude. Two small glass chandeliers were suspended atequal distances between the stove and outer doors, one of which openedat each end of the hall, and gilt lustres were affixed to the framework of the numerous side-doors that led from the apartment. Some littledisplay in architecture had been made in constructing these frames andcasings, which were surmounted with pediments, that bore each a littlepedestal in its centre; on these pedestals were small busts in blackedplaster-of-Paris. The style of the pedestals as well as the selection ofthe busts were all due to the taste of Mr. Jones. On one stood Homer, amost striking likeness, Richard affirmed, "as any one might see, for itwas blind," Another bore the image of a smooth-visaged gentleman with apointed beard, whom he called Shakespeare. A third ornament was anurn, which; from its shape, Richard was accustomed to say, intended torepresent itself as holding the ashes of Dido. A fourth was certainlyold Franklin, in his cap and spectacles. A fifth as surely borethe dignified composure of the face of Washington. A sixth was anondescript, representing "a man with a shirt-collar open," to use thelanguage of Richard, "with a laurel on his head-it was Julius Caesar orDr. Faustus; there were good reasons for believing either."
The walls were hung with a dark lead-colored English paper thatrepresented Britannia weeping over the tomb of Wolfe, The hero himselfstood at a little distance from the mourning goddess, and at the edge ofthe paper. Each width contained the figure, with the slight exception ofone arm of the general, which ran over on the next piece, so that whenRichard essayed, with his own hands, to put together this delicateoutline, some difficulties occurred that prevented a nice conjunction;and Britannia had reason to lament, in addition to the loss of herfavorite's life, numberless cruel amputations of his right arm.
The luckless cause of these unnatural divisions now announced hispresence in the halt by a loud crack of his whip.
"Why, Benjamin! you Ben Pump! is this the manner in which you receivethe heiress?" he cried. "Excuse him, Cousin Elizabeth. The arrangementswere too intricate to be trusted to every one; but now I am here, thingswill go on better.--Come, light up, Mr. Penguillan, light up, light up,and let us see One another's faces. Well, 'Duke, I have brought homeyour deer; what is to be done with it, ha?"
"By the Lord, squire," commenced Benjamin, in reply, first giving hismouth a wipe with the back of his hand, "if this here thing had beenordered sum'at earlier in the day, it might have been got up, d'ye see,to your liking. I had mustered all hands and was exercising candles,when you hove in sight; but when the women heard your bells they startedan end, as if they were riding the boat swain's colt; and if-so-be thereis that man in the house who can bring up a parcel of women when theyhave got headway on them, until they've run out the end of their rope,his name is not Benjamin Pump. But Miss Betsey here must have alteredmore than a privateer in disguise, since she has got on her woman'sduds, if she will take offence with an old fellow for the small matterof lighting a few candles."
Elizabeth and her father continued silent, for both experienced the samesensation on entering the hall. The former had resided one year in thebuilding before she left home for school, and the figure of its lamentedmistress was missed by both husband and child.
But candles had been placed in the chandeliers and lustres, and theattendants were so far recovered from surprise as to recollect theiruse; the oversight was immediately remedied, and in a minute theapartment was in a blaze of light.
The slight melancholy of our heroine and her father was banished bythis brilliant interruption; and the whole party began to lay aside thenumberless garments they had worn in the air.
During
this operation Richard kept up a desultory dialogue with thedifferent domestics, occasionally throwing out a remark to the Judgeconcerning the deer; but as his conversation at such moments was muchlike an accompaniment on a piano, a thing that is heard without beingattended to, we will not undertake the task of recording his diffusediscourse,
The instant that Remarkable Pettibone had executed her portion of thelabor in illuminating, she returned to a position near Elizabeth, withthe apparent motive of receiving the clothes that the other threw aside,but in reality to examine, with an air of curiosity--not unmixed withjealousy--the appearance of the lady who was to supplant her in theadministration of their domestic economy. The housekeeper felt a littleappalled, when, after cloaks, coats, shawls, and socks had been takenoff in succession, the large black hood was removed, and the darkringlets, shining like the raven's wing, fell from her head, and leftthe sweet but commanding features of the young lady exposed toview. Nothing could be fairer and more spotless than the forehead ofElizabeth, and preserve the appearance of life and health. Her nosewould have been called Grecian, but for a softly rounded swell, thatgave in character to the feature what it lost in beauty. Her mouth,at first sight, seemed only made for love; but, the instant that itsmuscles moved, every expression that womanly dignity could utter playedaround it with the flexibility of female grace. It spoke not only to theear, but to the eye. So much, added to a form of exquisite proportions,rather full and rounded for her years, and of the tallest medium height,she inherited from her mother. Even the color of her eye, the archedbrows, and the long silken lashes, came from the same source; butits expression was her father's. Inert and composed, it was soft,benevolent, and attractive; but it could be roused, and that withoutmuch difficulty. At such moments it was still beautiful, though it was alittle severe. As the last shawl fell aside, and she stood dressed in arich blue riding-habit, that fitted her form with the nicest exactness;her cheeks burning with roses, that bloomed the richer for the heatof the hall, and her eyes lightly suffused with moisture that renderedtheir ordinary beauty more dazzling, and with every feature of herspeaking countenance illuminated by the lights that flared around her,Remarkable felt that her own power had ended.
The business of unrobing had been simultaneous. Marmaduke appeared ina suit of plain, neat black; Monsieur Le Quoi in a coat of snuff-color,covering a vest of embroidery, with breeches, and silk stockings, andbuckles--that were commonly thought to be of paste. Major Hartmann worea coat of sky-blue, with large brass buttons, a club wig, and boots;and Mr. Richard Jones had set off his dapper little form in a frock ofbottle-green, with bullet-buttons, by one of which the sides were unitedover his well-rounded waist, opening above, so as to show a jacket ofred cloth, with an undervest of flannel, faced with green velvet, andbelow, so as to exhibit a pair of buckskin breeches, with long, soiled,white top-boots, and spurs; one of the latter a little bent, from itsrecent attacks on the stool.
When the young lady had extricated herself from her garments, she wasat liberty to gaze about her, and to examine not only the householdover which she was to preside, but also the air and manner in whichthe domestic arrangements were conducted. Although there was muchincongruity in the furniture and appearance of the hall, there wasnothing mean. The floor was carpeted, even in its remotest corners.The brass candlesticks, the gilt lustres, and the glass chandeliers,whatever might be their keeping as to propriety and taste, wereadmirably kept as to all the purposes of use and comfort. They wereclean and glittering in the strong light of the apartment.
Compared with the chill aspect of the December night without, the warmthand brilliancy of the apartment produced an effect that was not unlikeenchantment. Her eye had not time to detect, in detail, the littleerrors which in truth existed, but was glancing around her in de light,when an object arrested her view that was in strong contrast to thesmiling faces and neatly attired person ages who had thus assembled todo honor to the heiress of Templeton.
In a corner of the hall near the grand entrance stood the young hunter,unnoticed, and for the moment apparently forgotten. But even theforgetfulness of the Judge, which, under the influence of strongemotion, had banished the recollection of the wound of this stranger,seemed surpassed by the absence of mind in the youth himself. Onentering the apartment, he had mechanically lifted his cap, and exposeda head covered with hair that rivalled, in color and gloss, the locks ofElizabeth. Nothing could have wrought a greater transformation than thesingle act of removing the rough fox-skin cap. If there was much thatwas prepossessing in the countenance of the young hunter, there wassomething even noble in the rounded outlines of his head and brow. Thevery air and manner with which the member haughtily maintained itselfover the coarse and even wild attire in which the rest of his frame wasclad, bespoke not only familiarity with a splendor that in those newsettlements was thought to be unequalled, but something very likecontempt also.
The hand that held the cap rested lightly on the little ivory-mountedpiano of Elizabeth, with neither rustic restraint nor obtrusivevulgarity. A single finger touched the instrument, as if accustomed todwell on such places. His other arm was extended to its utmost length,and the hand grasped the barrel of his long rifle with something likeconvulsive energy. The act and the attitude were both involuntary,and evidently proceeded from a feeling much deeper than that of vulgarsurprise. His appearance, connected as it was with the rough exterior ofhis dress, rendered him entirely distinct from the busy group that weremoving across the other end of the long hall, occupied in receiving thetravellers and exchanging their welcomes; and Elizabeth continuedto gaze at him in wonder. The contraction of the stranger's brows increased as his eyes moved slowly from one object to another. For momentsthe expression of his countenance was fierce, and then again it seemedto pass away in some painful emotion. The arm that was extended bent andbrought the hand nigh to his face, when his head dropped upon it, andconcealed the wonderfully speaking lineaments.
"We forget, dear sir, the strange gentleman" (for her life Elizabethcould not call him otherwise) "whom we have brought here for assistance,and to whom we owe every attention."
All eyes were instantly turned in the direction of those of the speaker,and the youth rather proudly elevated his head again, while he answered:
"My wound is trifling, and I believe that Judge Temple sent for aphysician the moment we arrived."
"Certainly," said Marmaduke: "I have not forgotten the object of thyvisit, young man, nor the nature of my debt.
"Oh!" exclaimed Richard, with something of a waggish leer, "thou owestthe lad for the venison, I suppose that thou killed, Cousin 'Duke!Marmaduke! Marmaduke! That was a marvellous tale of thine about thebuck! Here, young man, are two dollars for the deer, and Judge Templecan do no less than pay the doctor. I shall charge you nothing for myservices, but you shall not fare the worst for that. Come, come, 'Duke,don't be down hearted about it; if you missed the buck, you contrived toshoot this poor fellow through a pine-tree. Now I own that you have beatme; I never did such a thing in all my life."
"And I hope never will," returned the Judge, "if you are to experiencethe uneasiness that I have suffered; but be of good cheer, my youngfriend, the injury must be small, as thou movest thy arm with apparentfreedom.
"Don't make the matter worse, 'Duke, by pretending to talk aboutsurgery," interrupted Mr. Jones, with a contemptuous wave of the hand:"it is a science that can only be learned by practice. You know that mygrandfather was a doctor, but you haven't got a drop of medical bloodin your veins. These kind of things run in families. All my family by myfather's side had a knack at physic. 'There was my uncle that was killedat Brandywine--he died as easy again as any other man the regiment,just from knowing how to hold his breath naturally. Few men know how tobreathe naturally."
"I doubt not, Dickon," returned the Judge, meeting the bright smilewhich, in spite of himself, stole over the stranger's features, "thatthy family thoroughly under stand the art of letting life slip throughtheir lingers."
Richard he
ard him quite coolly, and putting a hand in either pocket ofhis surcoat, so as to press forward the skirts, began to whistle a tune;but the desire to reply overcame his philosophy, and with great heat heexclaimed:
"You may affect to smile, Judge Temple, at hereditary virtues, if youplease; but there is not a man on your Patent who don't know better.Here, even this young man, who has never seen anything but bears, anddeer, and woodchucks, knows better than to believe virtues are nottransmitted in families. Don't you, friend?"
"I believe that vice is not," said the stranger abruptly; his eyeglancing from the father to the daughter.
"The squire is right, Judge," observed Benjamin, with a knowing nod ofhis head toward Richard, that bespoke the cordiality between them, "Now,in the old country, the king's majesty touches for the evil, and that isa disorder that the greatest doctor in the fleet, or for the matter ofthat admiral either: can't cure; only the king's majesty or a man that'sbeen hanged. Yes, the squire is right; for if-so-be that he wasn't, howis it that the seventh son always is a doctor, whether he ships forthe cockpit or not? Now when we fell in with the mounsheers, under DeGrasse, d'ye see, we hid aboard of us a doctor--"
"Very well, Benjamin," interrupted Elizabeth, glancing her eyes from thehunter to Monsieur Le Quoi, who was most politely attending to what fellfrom each individual in succession, "you shall tell me of that, andall your entertaining adventures together; just now, a room must beprepared, in which the arm of this gentleman can be dressed."
"I will attend to that myself, Cousin Elizabeth," observed Richard,somewhat haughtily. "The young man will not suffer because Marmadukechooses to be a little obstinate. Follow me, my friend, and I willexamine the hurt myself."
"It will be well to wait for the physician," said the hunter coldly; "hecannot be distant."
Richard paused and looked at the speaker, a little astonished at thelanguage, and a good deal appalled at the refusal. He construed thelatter into an act of hostility, and, placing his hands in the pocketsagain, he walked up to Mr. Grant, and, putting his face close to thecountenance of the divine, said in an undertone:
"Now, mark my words--there will be a story among the settlers, that allour necks would have been broken but for that fellow--as if I did notknow how to drive. Why, you might have turned the horses yourself,sir; nothing was easier; it was only pulling hard on the nigh rein, andtouching the off flank of the leader. I hope, my dear sir, you are notat all hurt by the upset the lad gave us?"
The reply was interrupted by the entrance of the village physician.
The Pioneers; Or, The Sources of the Susquehanna Page 6