University of Virginia Library

17. CHAPTER XVII.

I Mounted the stage-coach at day-break the next
day, in company with a sallow Frenchman from Saint
Domingo, his fiddle-case, an ape, and two female
blacks. The Frenchman, after passing the suburbs,
took out his violin and amused himself with humming
to his own tweedle-tweedle. The monkey now and
then mounched an apple, which was given to him from
a basket by the blacks, who gazed with stupid wonder,
and an exclamatory La! La! upon the passing scenery;
or chattered to each other in a sort of open-mouthed,
half-articulate, monotonous, and sing-song jargon.

The man looked seldom either on this side or that;
and spoke only to rebuke the frolicks of the monkey,
with a Tenez! Dominique! Prenez garde! Diable
noir!

As to me my thought was busy in a thousand ways.
I sometimes gazed at the faces of my four companions,
and endeavored to discern the differences and samenesses
between them. I took an exact account of the
features, proportions, looks, and gestures of the monkey,
the Congolese, and the Creole-Gaul. I compared
them together, and examined them apart. I looked
at them in a thousand different points of view, and
pursued, untired and unsatiated, those trains of reflections

which began at each change of tone, feature, and
attitude.

I marked the country as it successively arose before
me, and found endless employment in examining the
shape and substance of the fence, the barn and the
cottage, the aspect of earth and of heaven. How
great are the pleasures of health and of mental activity.

My chief occupation, however, related to the scenes
into which I was about to enter. My imaginations
were, of course, crude and inadequate; and I found
an uncommon gratification in comparing realities, as
they successively occurred, with the pictures which my
wayward fancy had depicted.

I will not describe my dreams. My proper task is
to relate the truth. Neither shall I dwell upon the
images suggested by the condition of the country
through which I passed. I will confine myself to
mentioning the transactions connected with the purpose
of my journey.

I reached Baltimore at night. I was not so fatigued,
but that I could ramble through the town. I
intended, at present, merely the gratification of a
stranger's curiosity. My visit to Mrs. Watson and
her brother I designed should take place on the morrow.
The evening of my arrival I deemed an unseasonable
time.

While roving about, however, it occurred to me,
that it might not be impolitic to find the way to their
habitation even now. My purposes of general curiosity
would equally be served whichever way my steps
were bent; and, to trace the path to their dwelling,
would save me the trouble of enquiries and interrogations
to-morrow.

When I looked forward to an interview with the wife
of Watson, and to the subject which would be necessarily
discussed at that interview, I felt a trembling and
misgiving at my heart. Surely, thought I, it will become
me to exercise immeasurable circumspection and

address; and yet how little are these adapted to the
impetuosity and candor of my nature.

How am I to introduce myself? What am I to tell
her? That I was a sort of witness to the murder of
her husband? That I received from the hand of his
assassin the letter which I afterwards transmitted to
her? and, from the same hands, the bills contained in
his girdle?

How will she start and look aghast? What suspicions
will she harbor? What enquiries shall be made
of me? How shall they be disarmed and eluded, or
answered? Deep consideration will be necessary befor
I trust myself to such an interview. The coming
night shall be devoted to reflection upon this subject.

From these thoughts I proceeded to enquiries for the
street mentioned in the advertisement, where Mrs.
Watson was said to reside. The street, and, at length,
the habitation, was found. Having reached a station
opposite, I paused and surveyed the mansion. It was
a wooden edifice of two stories; humble, but neat.
You ascended to the door by several stone steps. Of
the two lower windows, the shutters of one were closed,
but those of the other were open. Though late in the
evening, there was no appearance of light or fire
within.

Beside the house was a painted fence, through which
was a gate leading to the back of the building. Guided
by the impulse of the moment, I crossed the street
to the gate, and, lifting the latch, entered the paved
alley, on one side of which was a paled fence, and on
the other the house, looking through two windows into
the alley.

The first window was dark like those in front;
but at the second a light was discernible. I approached
it, and, looking through, beheld a plain but neat
apartment, in which parlour, kitchen, and nursery
seemed to be united. A fire burnt cheerfully in the
chimney, over which was a tea-kettle. On the hearth
sat a smiling and playful cherub of a boy, tossing

something to a black girl who sat opposite, and whose
innocent and regular features wanted only a different
bue to make them beautiful. Near it, in a rockingchair,
with a sleeping babe in her lap, sat a female
figure in plain but neat and becoming attire. Her posture
permitted half her face to be seen, and saved me
from any danger of being observed.

This countenance was full of sweetness and benignity,
but the sadness that veiled its lustre was profound.
Her eyes were now fixed upon the fire and
were moist with the tears of remembrance, while she sung,
in low and scarcely audible strains, an artless lullaby.

This spectacle exercised a strange power over my
feelings. While occupied in meditating on the features
of the mother, I was unaware of my conspicuous
situation. The black girl having occasion to change
her situation, in order to reach the ball which was
thrown at her, unluckily caught a glance of my figure
through the glass. In a tone of half surprize and half
terror she cried out—O! see dare! a man!

I was tempted to draw suddenly back, but a second
thought shewed me the impropriety of departing thus
abruptly, and leaving behind me some alarm. I felt
a sort of necessity for apologizing for my intrusion into
these precincts, and hastened to a door that led into
the same apartment. I knocked. A voice somewhat
confused bade me enter. It was not till I opened the
door and entered the room, that I fully saw in what
embarrassments I had incautiously involved myself.

I could scarcely obtain sufficient courage to speak,
and gave a confused assent to the question—“ Have
you business with me, sir?” She offered me a chair,
and I sat down. She put the child, not yet awakened,
into the arms of the black, who kissed it and rocked it
in her arms with great satisfaction, and, resuming her
seat, looked at me with inquisitiveness mingled with
complacency.

After a moment's pause, I said—I was directed to
this house as the abode of Mr. Ephraim Williams.
Can he be seen, madam?

He is not in town at present. If you will leave a
message with me, I will punctually deliver it.

The thought suddenly occurred, whether any more
was needful than merely to leave the bills suitably enclosed,
as they already were, in a pacquet. Thus all
painful explanations might be avoided, and I might
have reason to congratulate myself on his seasonable
absence. Actuated by these thoughts, I drew forth
the pacquet, and put it into her hand, saying, I will
leave this in your possession, and must earnestly request
you to keep it safe until you can deliver it into
his own hands.

Scarcely had I said this before new suggestions occurred.
Was it right to act in this clandestine and
mysterious manner? Should I leave these persons in
uncertainty respecting the fate of an husband and a
brother? What perplexities, misunderstandings, and
suspences might not grow out of this uncertainty; and
ought they not to be precluded at any hazard to my
own safety or good name?

These sentiments made me involuntarily stretch
forth my hand to retake the pacquet. This gesture,
and other significances in my manners, joined to a
trembling consciousness in herself, filled my companion
with all the tokens of confusion and fear. She
alternately looked at me and at the paper. Her trepidation
increased, and she grew pale. These emotions
were counteracted by a strong effort.

At length she said faulteringly, I will take good
care of them, and will give them to my brother.

She rose and placed them in a drawer, after which
she resumed her seat.

On this occasion all my wariness forsook me. I
cannot explain why my perplexity and the trouble of my
thot's were greater upon this than upon similar occasions.
However it be, I was incapable of speaking, and fixed
my eyes upon the floor. A sort of electrical sympathy
pervaded my companion, and terror and anguish
were strongly manifested in the glances which she
sometimes stole at me. We seemed fully to undersstand
each other without the aid of words.

This imbecility could not last long. I gradually
recovered my composure and collected my scattered
thoughts. I looked at her with seriousness, and steadfastly
spoke—Are you the wife of Amos Watson?

She started.—I am, indeed. Why do you ask?
Do you know any thing of —? There her voice
failed.

I replied with quickness, yes. I am fully acquainted
with his destiny.

Good God! she exclaimed in a paroxysm of surprize,
and bending eagerly forward, my husband is then alive.
This pacquet is from him. Where is he? When have
you seen him?

'Tis a long time since.

But where, where is he now? Is he well? Will
he return to me?

Never.

Merciful Heaven! looking upwards and clasping her
hands, I thank thee at least for his life! But why
has he forsaken me? Why will he not return?

For a good reason, said I with augmented solemnity,
he will never return to thee. Long ago was he
laid in the cold grave.

She shrieked; and, at the next moment, sunk in a swoon
upon the floor. I was alarmed. The two children
shrieked, and ran about the room terrified and unknowing
what they did. I was overwhelmed with
somewhat like terror, yet I involuntarily raised the
mother in my arms, and cast about for the means of
recalling her from this fit.

Time to effect this had not elapsed, when several
persons, apparently Mrs. Watson's neighbors, and
raised by the outcries of the girls, hastily entered the
room. They looked at me with mingled surprize and
suspicion; but my attitude, being that not of an injurer
but helper; my countenance, which shewed
the pleasure their entrance, at this critical moment, afforded
me; and my words, in which I besought their
assistance, and explained, in some degree, and briefly,
the cause of those appearances, removed their ill
thoughts.

Presently, the unhappy woman, being carried by the
new-comers into a bed-room adjoining, recovered her
sensibility. I only waited for this. I had done my
part. More information would be useless to her, and
not to be given by me, at least, in the present audience,
without embarrassment and peril. I suddenly
determined to withdraw, and this, the attention of the
company being otherwise engaged, I did without notice.
I returned to my inn, and shut myself up in
my chamber. Such was the change which, undesigned,
unforeseen, an half an hour had wrought in my situation.
My cautious projects had perished in their conception.
That which I had deemed so arduous, to require
such circumspect approaches, such well concerted
speeches, was done.

I had started up before this woman as if from the
pores of the ground. I had vanished with the same
celerity, but had left her in possession of proofs sufficient
that I was neither spectre nor demon. I will
visit her, said I, again. I will see her brother, and
know the full effect of my disclosure. I will tell
them all that I myself know. Ignorance would be no
less injurious to them than to myself; but, first, I will
see the Maurices.