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Show 34 JUCII.\l:D IIUIWI~. truce, look on one another, antlmo,·c togcth(•r with a mixed. at, lwlf of peace, hnlf of w:tr, and neither alt.ogC'tlt<'l' nssurcd of t JC virtue which is assumed to exist in their mutual plcd:;c~. "Did I not sec you tum your horse, JticlJ:n·d, as Jf to go b:tck 1" fl l d 1 0 tlws u You did," was my reply; nnd my face us lC as I compelled me to the acknowledgment. "And wherefore 1" . d It "\.Yhcrcforc !" I paused when I lw.d repeated the wor . would have been too galling to have spoken out the truth. I coutinucd thus:- . d 1 t "I saw you proceed in,.... in the same direction, an care< no to be in the way. Yot~· good fortune is too wcll-kt~own, to require that you should have fresh witnesses. Dcsl(lc~,. my farewell-for it is only to say farewell, thnt I go now-Is no such imi)Ortaut matter." . "You arc right,llichnril. My good fortune needs .no witnesses, though it likes them. But why should you thn~~ that you could be in the way 1 '\Vhat do you mcn.n b! thnt 1 •• Mean! can you nsk," I replied, with somctlung of n. S~le~r growing on my lips as I proceeded, "when you know Jt J.s pro,·erbial thnt young loYers, who arc ap~ to Lc mor~ sent_~~ mental thun sensible, usunlly, need 110 tlLll'd persous .J_t tbe~r interviews 1 Indeed, for tl1at matter, the third person l1kcs 1t qu•i•t~::s:il~~:h~~l:~~~~~~~~~:~~ .. ·~f he ]1imsclf lws been a loser at the game," WllS the retort. "Ay," I rejoined bitterly; "but if the ~an~e be played foully, J1is dislike is quite ns much the rest~lt of Ins scorn, <~_s of his disappointmeut. He is reconciled to l11~ loss, when he fmds its worthlessness, and he envies not the VIctor, who~e treaciJcry, rather than his skill, has been the source of Ius greater success.'' 'rho lips of my brotl1cr grew positively livid, ~ s l.w O!)e~ed them, as if in the act to speak. lie was prudent m forbearmg, for he kept silent. "Look you, John Hurd is," I continued, t~rning full upon him as I spoke, and putti11g my han'd upon lus shoulder. ~e slnank from under it. His guilty conscience JJad put a morhJd 35 llCrvo under every inr.;}J of' flesh in !lis system. I laughed aloud as I beheld him. "'VIJy do you sl1rink 1" I demanded, now in tum becoming tlJe questioner. "Shink-I shJ·ink-clid I shrink 1" lie answered me confusedly, scarcely conscious whnt he !;:lid. "Ay-did yon," I responded with a glance intended to go through him. "You sl1rnuk ns if my finger were fire-as if you feared thnt l meant to l111rm you." llis p1·ide cnmc to his r elief: He plucked up strength to say, "You mistnke, ltichard. I did not shrink, and if I did, it was not tlirough fear of you Ol' nny other mnn." My lmud ngain rested on hit~ slJ ou lder, as I replied-my eye searching tilrougiJ him nll the w!Jilc with a keenness, beneath which, it was a pleasure to me to Lehold l1im again sln·ink and falte1-. " You may deceive yomsclf, Jolm lltu·dis, but you can not deceive me. You did shrink from my toucJJ, even as you slu·ink now beneath mine eye. J\Iore than this, John Hurdis, you do fear me whatenr may be yom ord inal'y courage in the presence of other men. I sec-I feel that you fcnr me; and I am not less 11ssured on the subject of yom £Cars. YoLl would not fear were you not guilty-nor tremble uow wl1ile I speak were you less deserving of my 11unishment. Dut you need not tremble. You arc secure, John Hurd is. That wiJich you luwe in your bosom of my blood is yom· protection for the greater qunntity which you have that is not mine, n.nd with which my soul scorns all communion." His face grew black as he gazed upon me. The fo:tm flecked his Llanchcd lips even as it gathers upon the Lit of the driven and infuriated horse. His frame quivcred-JJiS tongue muttered inaudible sounds, and lw gazed on me, laboring, but in vain, to speak. I laughed as I beheld his feeble fnry-I laughed in the :tLundance of my scoru, nnd he then spoke. "Boy!" he cried-" boy- Lut for your mother, I should lay this whip over your shoulders." He shook it before me as he spoke, and I grappled with him on the instant. With n sudden grnsp, and an effort, to oppose which, he had neither strength of soul nor of body, I dragged |
