The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-10

\ ill, and ill-tempered, but resolute. His eyes
were stern and still, though not large, blood
/ shot, and disfgured with oversight looking
chamois-leather-co pouches underneath
H His complexion was sallow and swarthy, over
his coarse grizzled whskers. He had now nc
need to stuff out his stomach, except, perhaps
from within, for it filled his commodious yellow
waistcoat very sufficiently, though not excessive
/ ly. His clothes, though of no particular date
were Of very good materials, in good preserya
ton (; and his small but disproportionately
largejointed hands showed no marks of recent
toll so that it appeared that his coarse dark
nails and long hair were INTENDED more from
taste, or rather want of taste, than want of time
or means. His manner had dropped on the
stairs even the merits of frankness and spon.
taneousness which it had seemed to possess in
the above dialogue, and was now merely tina,
forced civility which is muzzled surliness, Ger
tainly among the very most odious styles OF
manner that man can assume towards man.
His mouth was but a pantrydoor, mere slit
10 his face; as he opened it to speak, Herman,
looked for the gap in it but if it had ever been
there, it had been reflled. The row OF short
sound, yellow, double-teeth, was now unbroken.
Pardon for keeping you waiting" said he
"lndisposed this morning. Come in. Down,
Faust, down I" The terrier, which had return
ed with him and renewed it's barking at his
guest instantly cringed at his feet.
am sorry to have disturbed you but need
scarcelyitrespass on your time for five minutes
l wished only to ask whether you were disposed
to sell negro man, whom | understand you
have -
"No hurry, sir. Come in! Come in Take
that horse, Ababdon."
"You are very kind but there is so heavy a
storm coming up"-
| re no
snarling smile. A tremendous flash, instantane
ously followed by as tremendous crash, con.
frmed his words. "There Dye want to be
struck by lightning? Because if ye do, l don't
| tie turned and re-entered the house, but so de-
liberately that Herman gave him little credit
for cowardice; and the less, that the flaming air
was at the moment quenched with wide white
deluge of rain.
Herman, springing from the wagon, followed
perfOrce, throwing the reins to the negro. ale
looked more like bad one than a good one,''
thought he; and | wish my gallant steed and
war-chariOt may be forthcoming again when
want them. However, let us find an adven-
ture if we can, and see the inside of this en-
chanted hail."
His courteous host led the way into large
unoccupied apartment, with sanded floor,
furnished with billiard-table; two tin recep-
tacles for tobacco juice; long, hard sofa, with
a worn green morocco cover, and furnished
brass-headed nails; and further decorated with
a very large colored map of Africa, hung against
the wall, every inlet and indentaton of the
western coast having its name put in by hand,
In ink, where it was omitted in the engraving.
"St down." said he whatll you take to
drink ?''
"A glass of water, if you please, shall be
very glad of"
st. Dominique withdrew, and Herman heard
HIM call again, in that peculiar measured ca
dence of his, as nearly as he could make out
the words, " Ho, Hecate, Hecate, here, and be
hanged to you'll"
"a melancholy mad humorist apparently. y
thought he of this is his taste in nomencla-
ture, no wonder they tell queer stories about
him" He supposed that ST. Dominique was
getting the draught which he had asked for
two h&t 81 Patfefng scfafaatHs par of boots and
and saw nothing more OF him for three-quarters
of an hour by his watch, at the end of which
time he creaked to the threshold again, and
said. laconically "Cone, get something to
eat"
Herman followed into a long room. similar
in size and shape to the one which he had just
left 1t looked like a ships cabin. There was
an oiltloth on the floor; large, long table, one
end of which was laid for two persons; and two
rows of heavy straight-backed mahogany chairs
set stiffly back against the berths, which ran
half way along both sides of the room.
used to be scattering man." said he, as
he saw Herman look at them. Bachelors es
Enlistment. Like to have some place where
can put friend or two for night or No
body here now to stop with ne these five
months. Elderly man-unwell-alon
I peptic-can't talk till after dinner. Do you
no harm to sit with me an hour, and tell the
news, and take a bite"
This was rather pathetic, and Herman ac
cordingly began to make himself as agreeable
as he could under the circumstances; but there
was one circumstance, in particular which
stood in the way of it; and that was, that he
happened to be almost choking with thirst.
Fill your glass" St. Dominique had SAID
to him rs soon be sat down to the table
pushing towards him a well-crusted bottle, with
a cobweb mantlla; and he had obeyed, and
swallowed one mouthful of the contents, and
no more. The wine-what wine there was in
twas a rich and costly foreign one, and al
most as sweet as a cordial but it tasted tC
him as if not drugged, precisely, but mixed
and onehalf of it at least the strongest brandy
not to speak of probable dash of pure alec
hol His head was not accustomed to sucl
rotations, and he did not intend that it should
) be. If he had done so, the present place AND
time, six hours, full, since he had taken food
were certainly not those which he would have
chosen to make beginning. He looked round
for water; there was none upon the table and
he addressed himself to his soup; excellent
: but high-seasoned and, unluckily, remarkably
salt "Will you give me some water?" SAID
he to the waiter behind his chair. The mar
removed his soup and st. Dominique, whom
the three applications, which he had made t.
the bottle on his own account, appeared t.
have cheered and encouraged almost to the
genial point, heaped his plate with French
pdte-stil the same story-gOod, but salt.
> May ask for glass of water, Mr. st
Dominique?"
Water, sir? oh, certainly, you shall have
: your water, though I'm afraid you won't drinl
: it when you get it. The water round here, In
sorry to say, is very strongly impregnated will
lime. have it boiled, which makes it rather
, more wholesome; but it's nasty stuff after all
Apollyon, here" He spoke in. low tone t.
one of the walters, who presently returned witt
an earthenware pitcher, and filled Hermann
tumber with water, which was very stongly i'm
pregnated with lime, indeed, being nothing
l more or less than genuine lime water.
"You are a rascal, to be sure!" though
4 Herman, emphatically, all his professional sen
timents rising up in arms at such a proclamation
of good physlc; "but if you expect by so shall
low a trick as this to make me drink what yo'
please. YOU don't show much adaptation 0
means to ends. A fellow, who is capable o
giving well man medicine, may be equal t,
poisoning him at his own table, for aught
: know" But he caught st. Dominique contem
plating him with a grati6ed expression out o
+; the corner of his flinty eye, suppressed VIZ.
face, continued to talk most agreeably, ate hi
bread minced up his pdte, and shuffied
J stealthily, from time to time, over the edge o
z his MI nd &c tho toll "a no int