Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-18
CHAPTER X.
A D IL E N NJ A.


DILEMMA.
Excepting some slight bruises on his face,
Harbert's dress was so disposed as to conceal his
wounds: Zs. the -almnst easire deprivation Of
locomotive power, from which he suffered, indi-
Gated that he was the victim of some severe ca
lamity. The person of Rolph bore more visible,
and less easily concealed tokens of conflict
yet before any others of the gang approached
the scene of STRIFE such evidences of it as could
be, had been removed and Rolph, tottering
from bodily weakness, had retired to his own
quarters. When he left, in tone feeble from
exhaustion, he declared to Herbert that accident
had given to the latter, advantage in the con-
flct and to the great joy of Alice he enjoned
upon all present, under the threat of q terrible
penalty, everlasting silence in regard to what
had transpired.
Yet" he added to Herbert with look of
mortal hatred, at the same time casting sneer
at Judith and Alice, as if he felt no gratitude
for the aid they had rendered, "you and will
meet again, where womanly service will not be
at hand for our recovery
Ills pride ha a'e had fa' noo," said Judith
as Rolph retired, " and he wadna ye suld tell O.
it, sith the hail gang wad skit him sa sair,
gin they kenned ye to be an over match for
Rolph, dnna ken but he wad dee frae greet
ing. And ye maunna tell o. it for yer ansells
twa, for yince the gang kenned the bruilzie ye
hae had, the death-ruckle wad sound in yer
thrapple, and that O. yer winsome little, Or yer
Sa bath O. ye Gamma be over careful to haud
yer clappers a. the time anent it."
During the delivery of these suggestions Ju-
dith busted herself in multiplying simples, and
preparing compounds, for the benefit of both
parties to the affray.
Herbert lay stretched upon cot and Alice
was ministering to his pains.
9" Do you believe" said Alice to Judith, in
reply to the last suggestion of the latter, he
will not tell of it himself. and thus bring upon
us summary vengeance?"
&c In troth, he wunna do It. Hehas mickle
wamefu' O. pride and forbye he is Draw ane,
and the leugh O. the gang wad scaur him, when
naething else wad. Sa ye medina fear he wull
tell O. it,
l." He threatened my brother, Mistress McDer-
mot. Will he endeavor by secret means to in
jure him? ?"
81 dinna ken,' said Judith. " He is ill-set,
and ill-sorted ilk days amaist, and whiles he
seems demented. And yer brither maun hae a
care O. him."
"Could not your husband interpose, and by
suitable apology, reconcile him to my broth
err"
"Have ma I tauld ye that ye could ma be
over careful to keep it frae the gang, that yer
brither and Rolph hae NOTED their heads the
gther? Natheless, ye wad HE to my gudeman,
syne he is my gudeman, and tell him a anent
it Cd, my hinny my hinny! This wunna
do-this wunnna do. Moo that McDermot wad
ma be unco willing to gar the effort, and it wad
max Rolph upsides wi yer brither; but and it
suld do ma guide, wha then suld bide the harm %
perhaps it wouldsdo no harm, Mrs McDer-
mot, if it should do no good for him to make
the effort, rejoined Alice.
" Belikes it wad do ma harm, dive trow, and
my gudemon suld tell Rolph that ye or yer
brither, OR my ainsell mabie, tauld him, yer
brther misguggled Rolph, and haud him by
the thrapple till he cad out enough enough
like wee bit bairn i the dead-thraw; and he
the maist stalwart, and souple O. a the gang
forbye? Ye dinna ken, my simple lassock, what
waesome thing it is amang men, to ia in ilk
ithers jeedgement frae high estate 1t brakl
their pride, not their banes, my lassie, ant
whan their pride is brak, their banes are O. un.
co little gude.'
" And you do not Intend to say aught to your
husband about the afray between my brother
and Rol lph ?" said Alice.
g In troth, | downa," answered Judith
" Yer brither maun play fause to my gudemon
He maun gar McDermot trow he is aling wet
bit, and wull gang to the drugsters to gat thu
needfa', and sune as this day week, he anc
Rolph wull bath be weel''
The recovery of Rolph was an event to which
Alice looked forward, in the present state of hi
feelings, with scarcely less dread than to tn,
arrival of Musgrave. And the nearer she an
proximated to the destined hour for the arriya
OF the latter, the more numerous and formidabl,
were the difficulties which beset her. Now thu
stout arm of her brother was poweress for he
protection; and the least period within whicl
Mistress McDermot would hatter her with tn
belief that it could be raised in her behalf. i
need should require it, was an entire week =
an avowed and rancorous enemy had just sprun,
up in their immediate vicnage, in the person o
Rolph and to what appliances he would resort
or what means he would scruple at in tn
prosecution of his purpose she could not divine
and the time for the arrival of Musgrave wa
diminishing every hour he might then b
within an hours walk of her, and she coul
hardly hope, at the longest, for many hours
delay.
The pressure of difficulties made her nervous
and distracted her faculties from the plan, an
pursuit, of any single scheme to overcome them
A thousand different projects presented thei
shadowy forms to her mind, and before the