East Lynne [196]
if it had been a race which should arrive soonest.
Quite impossible was it for Mr. Carlyle, at first, to understand the news they brought. All were talking at once, in the utmost excitement; and the fury of Justice Hare alone was sufficient to produce temporary deafness. Mr. Carlyle caught a word of the case presently.
"A second man? Opposition? Well, let him come on," he good-humoredly cried. "We shall have the satisfaction of ascertaining who wins in the end."
"But you have not heard who it is, Mr. Archibald," cried Old Dill, "It--"
"Stand a contest with /him/?" raved Justice Hare. "He--"
"The fellow wants hanging," interjected Colonel Bethel.
"Couldn't he be ducked?" suggested Squire Pinner.
Now all these sentences were ranted out together, and their respective utterers were fain to stop till the noise subsided a little. Barbara could only look from one to the other in astonishment.
"Who is this formidable opponent?" asked Mr. Carlyle.
There was a pause. Not one of them but had the delicacy to shrink from naming that man to Mr. Carlyle. The information came at last from Old Dill, who dropped his voice while he spoke it.
"Mr. Archibald, the candidate who has come forward, is that man Levison."
"Of course, Carlyle, you'll go into it now, neck and crop," cried Justice Hare.
Mr. Carlyle was silent.
"You won't let the beast frighten you from the contest!" uttered Colonel Bethel in a loud tone.
"There's a meeting at the Buck's Head at ten," said Mr. Carlyle, not replying to the immediate question. "I will be with you there."
"Did you not say, Mr. Dill, that was where the scoundrel Levison is-- at the Buck's Head?"
"He was there," answered Mr. Dill. "I expect he is ousted by this time. I asked the landlord what he thought of himself, for taking in such a character, and what he supposed the justice would say to him. He vowed with tears in his eyes that the fellow should not be there another hour, and that he should never have entered it, had he known who he was."
A little more conversation, and the visitors filed off. Mr. Carlyle sat down calmly to finish his breakfast. Barbara approached him.
"Archibald, you will not suffer this man's insolent doings to deter you from your plans--you will not withdraw?" she whispered.
"I think not, Barbara. He has thrust himself offensively upon me in this measure; I believe my better plan will be to take no more heed of him than I should of the dirt under my feet."
"Right--right," she answered, a proud flush deepening the rose on her cheeks.
Mr. Carlyle was walking into West Lynne. There were the placards, sure enough, side by side with his own, bearing the name of that wicked coward who had done him the greatest injury one man can do to another. Verily, he must possess a face of brass to venture there.
"Archibald, have you heard the disgraceful news?"
The speaker was Miss Carlyle, who had come down upon her brother like a ship with all sails set. Her cheeks wore a flush; her eyes glistened; her tall form was drawn up to its most haughty height.
"I have heard it, Cornelia, and, had I not, the walls would have enlightened me."
"Is he out of his mind?"
"Out of his reckoning, I fancy," replied Mr. Carlyle.
"You will carry on the contest now," she continued, her countenance flashing. "I was averse to it before, but I now withdraw all my objection. You will be no brother of mine if you yield the field to him."
"I do not intend to yield it."
"Good. You bear on upon your course, and let him crawl on upon his. Take no more heed of him than if he were a viper. Archibald, you must canvass now."
"No," said Mr. Carlyle, "I shall be elected without canvass. You'll see, Cornelia."
"There will be plenty canvassing for you, if you don't condescend to take the trouble, my indifferent brother. I'll give a thousand pounds myself, for ale, to the electors."
"Take care," laughed Mr. Carlyle. "Keep your thousand pounds in your pocket, Cornelia. I have no mind to be unseated, on the plea of 'bribery and corruption.' Here's
Quite impossible was it for Mr. Carlyle, at first, to understand the news they brought. All were talking at once, in the utmost excitement; and the fury of Justice Hare alone was sufficient to produce temporary deafness. Mr. Carlyle caught a word of the case presently.
"A second man? Opposition? Well, let him come on," he good-humoredly cried. "We shall have the satisfaction of ascertaining who wins in the end."
"But you have not heard who it is, Mr. Archibald," cried Old Dill, "It--"
"Stand a contest with /him/?" raved Justice Hare. "He--"
"The fellow wants hanging," interjected Colonel Bethel.
"Couldn't he be ducked?" suggested Squire Pinner.
Now all these sentences were ranted out together, and their respective utterers were fain to stop till the noise subsided a little. Barbara could only look from one to the other in astonishment.
"Who is this formidable opponent?" asked Mr. Carlyle.
There was a pause. Not one of them but had the delicacy to shrink from naming that man to Mr. Carlyle. The information came at last from Old Dill, who dropped his voice while he spoke it.
"Mr. Archibald, the candidate who has come forward, is that man Levison."
"Of course, Carlyle, you'll go into it now, neck and crop," cried Justice Hare.
Mr. Carlyle was silent.
"You won't let the beast frighten you from the contest!" uttered Colonel Bethel in a loud tone.
"There's a meeting at the Buck's Head at ten," said Mr. Carlyle, not replying to the immediate question. "I will be with you there."
"Did you not say, Mr. Dill, that was where the scoundrel Levison is-- at the Buck's Head?"
"He was there," answered Mr. Dill. "I expect he is ousted by this time. I asked the landlord what he thought of himself, for taking in such a character, and what he supposed the justice would say to him. He vowed with tears in his eyes that the fellow should not be there another hour, and that he should never have entered it, had he known who he was."
A little more conversation, and the visitors filed off. Mr. Carlyle sat down calmly to finish his breakfast. Barbara approached him.
"Archibald, you will not suffer this man's insolent doings to deter you from your plans--you will not withdraw?" she whispered.
"I think not, Barbara. He has thrust himself offensively upon me in this measure; I believe my better plan will be to take no more heed of him than I should of the dirt under my feet."
"Right--right," she answered, a proud flush deepening the rose on her cheeks.
Mr. Carlyle was walking into West Lynne. There were the placards, sure enough, side by side with his own, bearing the name of that wicked coward who had done him the greatest injury one man can do to another. Verily, he must possess a face of brass to venture there.
"Archibald, have you heard the disgraceful news?"
The speaker was Miss Carlyle, who had come down upon her brother like a ship with all sails set. Her cheeks wore a flush; her eyes glistened; her tall form was drawn up to its most haughty height.
"I have heard it, Cornelia, and, had I not, the walls would have enlightened me."
"Is he out of his mind?"
"Out of his reckoning, I fancy," replied Mr. Carlyle.
"You will carry on the contest now," she continued, her countenance flashing. "I was averse to it before, but I now withdraw all my objection. You will be no brother of mine if you yield the field to him."
"I do not intend to yield it."
"Good. You bear on upon your course, and let him crawl on upon his. Take no more heed of him than if he were a viper. Archibald, you must canvass now."
"No," said Mr. Carlyle, "I shall be elected without canvass. You'll see, Cornelia."
"There will be plenty canvassing for you, if you don't condescend to take the trouble, my indifferent brother. I'll give a thousand pounds myself, for ale, to the electors."
"Take care," laughed Mr. Carlyle. "Keep your thousand pounds in your pocket, Cornelia. I have no mind to be unseated, on the plea of 'bribery and corruption.' Here's