Chapter V

by James Fenimore Cooper

　　"Nathaniels coat, sir, was not fully made,And Gabriels pumps were all unpinkd i th' heel;There was no link to color Peters hat,And Walters dagger was not come from sheathing;There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory."--Shakespeare.

　　After winding along the side of the mountain, the road, on reachingthe gentle declivity which lay at the base of the hill, turned at aright angle to its former course, and shot down an inclined plane,directly into the village of Templeton. The rapid little stream thatwe have already mentioned was crossed by a bridge of hewn timber,which manifested, by its rude construction and the unnecessary size ofits framework, both the value of Labor and the abundance of materials.This little torrent, whose dark waters gushed over the limestones thatlined its bottom, was nothing less than one of the many sources of theSusquehanna; a river to which the Atlantic herself has extended an armin welcome. It was at this point that the powerful team of Mr. Jonesbrought him up to the more sober steeds of our travellers. A smallhill was risen, and Elizabeth found herself at once amidst theincongruous dwellings of the village. The street was of the ordinarywidth, notwithstanding the eye might embrace, in one view, thousandsand tens of thousands of acres, that were yet tenanted only by thebeasts of the forest. But such had been the will of her father, andsuch had also met the wishes of his followers. To them the road thatmade the most rapid approaches to the condition of the old, or, asthey expressed it, the down countries, was the most pleasant; andsurely nothing could look more like civilization than a city, even ifit lay in a wilderness! The width of the street, for so it was called,might have been one hundred feet; but the track for the sleighs wasmuch more limited. On either side of the highway were piled hugeheaps of logs, that were daily increasing rather than diminishing insize, notwithstanding the enormous fires that might be seen throughevery window.

　　The last object at which Elizabeth gazed when they renewed theirjourney, after their encountre with Richard, was the sun, as itexpanded in the refraction of the horizon, and over whose disk thedark umbrage of a pine was stealing, while it slowly sank behind thewestern hills. But his setting rays darted along the openings of themountain he was on, and lighted the shining covering of the birches,until their smooth and glossy coats nearly rivalled the mountain sidesin color. The outline of each dark pine was delineated far in thedepths of the forest, and the rocks, too smooth and too perpendicularto retain the snow that had fallen, brightened, as if smiling at theleave-taking of the luminary. But at each step as they descended,Elizabeth observed that they were leaving the day behind them. Eventhe heartless but bright rays of a December sun were missed as theyglided into the cold gloom of the valley. Along the summits of themountains in the eastern range, it is true, the light still lingered,receding step by step from the earth into the clouds that weregathering with the evening mist, about the limited horizon, but thefrozen lake lay without a shadow on its bosom; the dwellings werebecoming already gloomy and indistinct, and the wood-cutters wereshouldering their axes and preparing to enjoy, throughout the longevening before them, the comforts of those exhilarating fires thattheir labor had been supplying with fuel. They paused only to gaze atthe passing sleighs, to lift their caps to Marmaduke, to exchangefamiliar nods with Richard, and each disappeared in his dwelling. Thepaper curtains dropped behind our travellers in every window, shuttingfrom the air even the firelight of the cheerful apartments, and whenthe horses of her father turned with a rapid whirl into the open gateof the mansion-house, and nothing stood before her but the cold drearystone walls of the building, as she approached them through an avenueof young and leafless poplars, Elizabeth felt as if all the lovelinessof the mountain-view had vanished like the fancies of a dream.Marmaduke retained so much of his early habits as to reject the use ofbells, but the equipage of Mr. Jones came dashing through the gateafter them, sending its jingling sounds through every cranny of thebuilding, and in a moment the dwelling was in an uproar.

　　On a stone platform, of rather small proportions, considering the sizeof the building, Richard and Hiram had, conjointly, reared four littlecolumns of wood, which in their turn supported the shingled roofs ofthe portico-- this was the name that Mr. Jones had thought proper togive to a very plain, covered entrance. The ascent to the platformwas by five or six stone steps, somewhat hastily laid together, andwhich the frost had already begun to move from their symmetricalpositions, But the evils of a cold climate and a superficialconstruction did not end here. As the steps lowered the platformnecessarily fell also, and the foundations actually left the superstructure suspended in the air, leaving an open space of a footbetween the base of the pillars and the stones on which they hadoriginally been placed. It was lucky for the whole fabric that thecarpenter, who did the manual part of the labor, had fastened thecanopy of this classic entrance so firmly to the side of the housethat, when the base deserted the superstructure in the manner we havedescribed, and the pillars, for the want of a foundation, were nolonger of service to support the roof, the roof was able to uphold thepillars. Here was, indeed, an unfortunate gap left in the ornamentalpart of Richards column; but, like the window in Aladdins palace, itseemed only left in order to prove the fertility of its mastersresources. The composite order again offered its advantages, and asecond edition of the base was given, as the booksellers say, withadditions and improvements. It was necessarily larger, and it wasproperly ornamented with mouldings; still the steps continued toyield, and, at the moment when Elizabeth returned to her fathersdoor, a few rough wedges were driven under the pillars to keep themsteady, and to prevent their weight from separating them from thepediment which they ought to have supported.

　　From the great door which opened into the porch emerged two or threefemale domestics, and one male. The latter was bareheaded, butevidently more dressed than usual, and on the whole was of so singulara formation and attire as to deserve a more minute description. Hewas about five feet in height, of a square and athletic frame, with apair of shoulders that would have fitted a grenadier. His low staturewas rendered the more striking by a bend forward that he was in thehabit of assuming, for no apparent reason, unless it might be to givegreater freedom to his arms, in a particularly sweeping swing, thatthey constantly practised when their master was in motion. His facewas long, of a fair complexion, burnt to a fiery red; with a snubnose, cocked into an inveterate pug; a mouth of enormous dimensions,filled with fine teeth; and a pair of blue eyes, that seemed to lookabout them on surrounding objects with habitual contempt. His headcomposed full one-fourth of his whole length, and the cue thatdepended from its rear occupied another. He wore a coat of very lightdrab cloth, with buttons as large as dollars, bearing the impressionof a "foul anchor." The skirts were extremely long, reaching quite tothe calf, and were broad in proportion. Beneath, there were a vestand breeches of red plush, somewhat worn and soiled. He had shoeswith large buckles, and stockings of blue and white stripes.

　　This odd-looking figure reported himself to be a native of the countyof Cornwall, in the island of Great Britain. His boyhood had passedin the neighborhood of the tin mines, and his youth as the cabin-boyof a smuggler, between Falmouth and Guernsey. From this trade he hadbeen impressed into the service of his king, and, for the want of abetter, had been taken into the cabin, first as a servant, and finallyas steward to the captain. Here he acquired the art of makingchowder, lobster, and one or two other sea-dishes, and, as he was fondof saying, had an opportunity of seeing the world. With the exceptionof one or two outports in France, and an occasional visit toPortsmouth, Plymouth, and Deal, he had in reality seen no more ofmankind, however, than if he had been riding a donkey in one of hisnative mines. But, being discharged from the navy at the peace of83, he declared that, as he had seen all the civilized parts of theearth, he was inclined to make a trip to the wilds of America We willnot trace him in his brief wanderings, under the influence of thatspirit of emigration that some times induces a dapper Cockney to quithis home, and lands him, before the sound of Bow-bells is out of hisears, within the roar of the cataract of Niagara; but shall only addthat at a very early day, even before Elizabeth had been sent toschool, he had found his way into the family of Marmaduke Temple,where, owing to a combination of qualities that will be developed inthe course of the tale, he held, under Mr. Jones, the office of major-domo. The name of this worthy was Benjamin Penguillan, according tohis own pronunciation; but, owing to a marvellous tale that he was inthe habit of relating, concerning the length of time he had to laborto keep his ship from sinking after Rodneys victory, he haduniversally acquired the nick name of Ben Pump.

　　By the side of Benjamin, and pressing forward as if a little jealousof her station, stood a middle-aged woman, dressed in calico, ratherviolently contrasted in color with a tall, meagre, shapeless figure,sharp features, and a somewhat acute expression of her physiognomy.Her teeth were mostly gone, and what did remain were of a tightyellow. The skin of her nose was drawn tightly over the member, tohang in large wrinkles in her cheeks and about her mouth. She tooksnuff in such quantities as to create the impression that she owed thesaffron of her lips and the adjacent parts to this circumstance; butit was the unvarying color of her whole face. She presided over thefemale part of the domestic arrangements, in the capacity ofhousekeeper; was a spinster, and bore the name of RemarkablePettibone. To Elizabeth she was an entire stranger, having beenintroduced into the family since the death of her mother.

　　In addition to these, were three or four subordinate menials, mostlyblack, some appearing at the principal door, and some running from theend of the building, where stood the entrance to the cellar-kitchen.

　　Besides these, there was a general rush from Richards kennel,accompanied with every canine tone from the howl of the wolf-dog tothe petulant bark of the terrier. The master received theirboisterous salutations with a variety of imitations from his ownthroat, when the dogs, probably from shame of being outdone, ceasedtheir out- cry. One stately, powerful mastiff, who wore round hisneck a brass collar, with "M. T." engraved in large letters on therim, alone was silent. He walked majestically, amid the confusion, tothe side of the Judge, where, receiving a kind pat or two, he turnedto Elizabeth, who even stooped to kiss him, as she called him kindlyby the name of "Old Brave." The animal seemed to know her, as sheascended the steps, supported by Monsieur Le Quoi and her father, inorder to protect her from falling on the ice with which they werecovered. He looked wistfully after her figure, and when the doorclosed on the whole party, he laid himself in a kennel that was placednigh by, as if conscious that the house contained some thing ofadditional value to guard.

　　Elizabeth followed her father, who paused a moment to whisper amessage to one of his domestics, into a large hall, that was dimlylighted by two candies, placed in high, old-fashioned, brasscandlesticks. The door closed, and the party were at once removedfrom an atmosphere that was nearly at zero, to one of sixty degreesabove. In the centre of the hall stood an enormous stove, the sidesof which appeared to be quivering with heat; from which a large,straight pipe, leading through the ceiling above, carried off thesmoke. An iron basin, containing water, was placed on this furnace,for such only it could be called, in order to preserve a properhumidity in the apartment. The room was carpeted, and furnished withconvenient, substantial furniture, some of which was brought from thecity, the remainder having been manufactured by the mechanics ofTempleton. There was a sideboard of mahogany, inlaid with ivory, andbearing enormous handles of glittering brass, and groaning under thepiles of silver plate. Near it stood a set of prodigious tables, madeof the wild cherry, to imitate the imported wood of the sideboard, butplain and without ornament of any kind. Opposite to these stood asmaller table, formed from a lighter-colored wood, through the grainsof which the wavy lines of the curled maple of the mountains werebeautifully undulating. Near to this, in a corner, stood a heavy,old-fashioned, brass-faced clock, incased in a high box, of the darkhue of the black walnut from the seashore. An enormous settee, orsofa, covered with light chintz, stretched along the walls for nearlytwenty feet on one side of the hail; and chairs of wood, painted alight yellow, with black lines that were drawn by no very steady hand,were ranged opposite, and in the intervals between the other pieces offurniture. A Fahrenheit's thermometer in a mahogany case, and with abarometer annexed, was hung against the wall, at some little distancefrom the stove, which Benjamin consulted, every half hour, withprodigious exactitude. Two small glass chandeliers were suspended atequal distances between the stove and outer doors, one of which openedat each end of the hall, and gilt lustres were affixed to the framework of the numerous side-doors that led from the apartment. Somelittle display in architecture had been made in constructing theseframes and casings, which were surmounted with pediments, that boreeach a little pedestal in its centre; on these pedestals were smallbusts in blacked plaster-of-Paris. The style of the pedestals as wellas the selection of the busts were all due to the taste of Mr. Jones.On one stood Homer, a most striking likeness, Richard affirmed, "asany one might see, for it was blind," Another bore the image of asmooth-visaged gentleman with a pointed beard, whom he calledShakespeare. A third ornament was an urn, which; from its shape,Richard was accustomed to say, intended to represent itself as holdingthe ashes of Dido. A fourth was certainly old Franklin, in his capand spectacles. A fifth as surely bore the dignified composure of theface of Washington. A sixth was a nondescript, representing "a manwith a shirt-collar open," to use the language of Richard, "with alaurel on his head-it was Julius Caesar or Dr. Faustus; there weregood reasons for believing either,"

　　The walls were hung with a dark lead-colored English paper thatrepresented Britannia weeping over the tomb of Wolfe, The hero himselfstood at a little distance from the mourning goddess, and at the edgeof the paper. Each width contained the figure, with the slightexception of one arm of the general, which ran over on the next piece,so that when Richard essayed, with his own hands, to put together thisdelicate outline, some difficulties occurred that prevented a niceconjunction; and Britannia had reason to lament, in addition to theloss of her favorites life, numberless cruel amputations of his rightarm.

　　The luckless cause of these unnatural divisions now announced hispresence in the halt by a loud crack of his whip.

　　"Why, Benjamin! you Ben Pump! is this the manner in which you receivethe heiress?" he cried. "Excuse him, Cousin Elizabeth. Thearrangements were too intricate to be trusted to every one; but now Iam here, things will go on better. --Come, light up, Mr. Penguillan,light up, light up, and let us see One anothers faces. Well, Duke,I have brought home your deer; what is to be done with it, ha?"

　　"By the Lord, squire," commenced Benjamin, in reply, first giving hismouth a wipe with the back of his hand, "if this here thing had beenordered sumat earlier in the day, it might have been got up, dyesee, to your liking. I had mustered all hands and was exercisingcandles, when you hove in sight; but when the women heard your bellsthey started an end, as if they were riding the boat swains colt; andif-so-be there is that man in the house who can bring up a parcel ofwomen when they have got headway on them, until theyve run out theend of their rope, his name is not Benjamin Pump. But Miss Betseyhere must have altered more than a privateer in disguise, since shehas got on her womans duds, if she will take offence with an oldfellow for the small matter of lighting a few candles."

　　Elizabeth and her father continued silent, for both experienced thesame sensation on entering the hall. The former had resided one yearin the building before she left home for school, and the figure of itslamented mistress was missed by both husband and child.

　　But candles had been placed in the chandeliers and lustres, and theattendants were so far recovered from surprise as to recollect theiruse; the oversight was immediately remedied, and in a minute theapartment was in a blaze of light.

　　The slight melancholy of our heroine and her father was banished bythis brilliant interruption; and the whole party began to lay asidethe numberless garments they had worn in the air.

　　During this operation Richard kept up a desultory dialogue with thedifferent domestics, occasionally throwing out a remark to the Judgeconcerning the deer; but as his conversation at such moments was muchlike an accompaniment on a piano, a thing that is heard without beingattended to, we will not undertake the task of recording his diffusediscourse,

　　The instant that Remarkable Pettibone had executed her portion of thelabor in illuminating, she returned to a position near Elizabeth, withthe apparent motive of receiving the clothes that the other threwaside, but in reality to examine, with an air of curiosity--not unmixedwith jealousy--the appearance of the lady who was to supplant her inthe administration of their domestic economy. The housekeeper felt alittle appalled, when, after cloaks, coats, shawls, and socks had beentaken off in succession, the large black hood was removed, and thedark ringlets, shining like the ravens wing, fell from her head, andleft the sweet but commanding features of the young lady exposed toview. Nothing could be fairer and more spotless than the forehead ofElizabeth, and preserve the appearance of life and health. Her nosewould have been called Grecian, but for a softly rounded swell, thatgave in character to the feature what it lost in beauty. Her mouth,at first sight, seemed only made for love; but, the instant that itsmuscles moved, every expression that womanly dignity could utterplayed around it with the flexibility of female grace. It spoke notonly to the ear, but to the eye. So much, added to a form ofexquisite proportions, rather full and rounded for her years, and ofthe tallest medium height, she inherited from her mother. Even thecolor of her eye, the arched brows, and the long silken lashes, camefrom the same source; but its expression was her fathers. Inert andcomposed, it was soft, benevolent, and attractive; but it could beroused, and that without much difficulty. At such moments it wasstill beautiful, though it was a little severe. As the last shawlfell aside, and she stood dressed in a rich blue riding-habit, thatfitted her form with the nicest exactness; her cheeks burning withroses, that bloomed the richer for the heat of the hall, and her eyeslightly suffused with moisture that rendered their ordinary beautymore dazzling, and with every feature of her speaking countenanceilluminated by the lights that flared around her, Remarkable felt thather own power had ended

　　The business of unrobing had been simultaneous. Marmaduke appeared ina suit of plain, neat black; Monsieur Le Quoi in a coat of snuff-color, covering a vest of embroidery, with breeches, and silkstockings, and buckles--that were commonly thought to be of paste.Major Hartmann wore a coat of sky-blue, with large brass buttons, aclub wig, and boots; and Mr. Richard Jones had set off his dapperlittle form in a frock of bottle-green, with bullet-buttons, by one ofwhich the sides were united over his well-rounded waist, openingabove, so as to show a jacket of red cloth, with an undervest offlannel, faced with green velvet, and below, so as to exhibit a pairof buckskin breeches, with long, soiled, white top-boots, and spurs;one of the latter a little bent, from its recent attacks on the stool.

　　When the young lady had extricated herself from her garments, she wasat liberty to gaze about her, and to examine not only the householdover which she was to preside, but also the air and manner in whichthe domestic arrangements were conducted. Although there was muchincongruity in the furniture and appearance of the hall, there wasnothing mean. The floor was carpeted, even in its remotest corners.The brass candlesticks, the gilt lustres, and the glass chandeliers,whatever might be their keeping as to propriety and taste, wereadmirably kept as to all the purposes of use and comfort. They wereclean and glittering in the strong light of the apartment.

　　Compared with the chill aspect of the December night without, thewarmth and brilliancy of the apartment produced an effect that was notunlike enchantment. Her eye had not time to detect, in detail, thelittle errors which in truth existed, but was glancing around her inde light, when an object arrested her view that was in strong contrastto the smiling faces and neatly attired person ages who had thusassembled to do honor to the heiress of Templeton.

　　In a corner of the hall near the grand entrance stood the younghunter, unnoticed, and for the moment apparently forgotten. But eventhe forgetfulness of the Judge, which, under the influence of strongemotion, had banished the recollection of the wound of this stranger,seemed surpassed by the absence of mind in the youth himself. Onentering the apartment, be had mechanically lifted his cap, andexposed a head covered with hair that rivalled, in color and gloss,the locks of Elizabeth. Nothing could have wrought a greatertransformation than the single act of removing the rough fox-skin cap.If there was much that was prepossessing in the countenance of theyoung hunter, there was something even noble in the rounded outlinesof his head and brow. The very air and manner with which the memberhaughtily maintained itself over the coarse and even wild attire inwhich the rest of his frame was clad, bespoke not only familiaritywith a splendor that in those new settlements was thought to beunequalled, but something very like contempt also.

　　The hand that held the cap rested lightly on the little ivory-mountedpiano of Elizabeth, with neither rustic restraint nor obtrusivevulgarity. A single finger touched the instrument, as if accustomedto dwell on such places. His other arm was extended to its utmostlength, and the hand grasped the barrel of his long rifle withsomething like convulsive energy. The act and the attitude were bothinvoluntary, and evidently proceeded from a feeling much deeper thanthat of vulgar surprise. His appearance, connected as it was with therough exterior of his dress, rendered him entirely distinct from thebusy group that were moving across the other end of the long hall,occupied in receiving the travellers and exchanging their welcomes;and Elizabeth continued to gaze at him in wonder. The contraction ofthe strangers brows in creased as his eyes moved slowly from oneobject to another. For moments the expression of his countenance wasfierce, and then again it seemed to pass away in some painful emotion.The arm that was extended bent and brought the hand nigh to his face,when his head dropped upon it, and concealed the wonderfully speakinglineaments.

　　"We forget, dear sir, the strange gentleman" (for her life Elizabethcould not call him otherwise) "whom we have brought here forassistance, and to whom we owe every attention."

　　All eyes were instantly turned in the direction of those of thespeaker, and the youth rather proudly elevated his head again, whilehe answered:

　　"My wound is trifling, and I believe that Judge Temple sent for aphysician the moment we arrived."

　　"Certainly," said Marmaduke: "I have not forgotten the object of thyvisit, young man, nor the nature of my debt.

　　"Oh!" exclaimed Richard, with something of a waggish leer, "thou owestthe lad for the venison, I suppose that thou killed, Cousin Duke!Marmaduke! Marmaduke! That was a marvellous tale of thine about thebuck! Here, young man, are two dollars for the deer, and Judge Templecan do no less than pay the doctor. I shall charge you nothing for myservices, but you shall not fare the worst for that. Come, come,Duke, dont he down hearted about it; if you missed the buck, youcontrived to shoot this poor fellow through a pine-tree. Now I ownthat you have beat me; I never did such a thing in all my life."

　　"And I hope never will," returned the Judge, "if you are to experiencethe uneasiness that I have suffered; but be of good cheer, my youngfriend, the injury must be small, as thou movest thy arm with apparentfreedom.

　　"Dont make the matter worse, Duke, by pretending to talk aboutsurgery," interrupted Mr. Jones, with a contemptuous wave of the hand:"it is a science that can only be learned by practice. You know thatmy grandfather was a doctor, but you havent got a drop of medicalblood in your veins. These kind of things run in families. All myfamily by my fathers side had a knack at physic. There was my unclethat was killed at Brandywine--he died as easy again as any other manthe regiment, just from knowing how to hold his breath naturally. Fewmen know how to breathe naturally."

　　"I doubt not, Dickon," returned the Judge, meeting the bright smilewhich, in spite of himself, stole over the strangers features, "thatthy family thoroughly under stand the art of letting life slip throughtheir lingers."

　　Richard heard him quite coolly, and putting a hand in either pocket ofhis surcoat, so as to press forward the skirts, began to whistle atune; but the desire to reply overcame his philosophy, and with greatheat he exclaimed:

　　"You may affect to smile, Judge Temple, at hereditary virtues, if youplease; but there is not a man on your Patent who dont know better.Here, even this young man, who has never seen anything but bears, anddeer, and woodchucks, knows better than to believe virtues are nottransmitted in families. Dont you, friend?"

　　"I believe that vice is not," said the stranger abruptly; his eyeglancing from the father to the daughter.

　　"The squire is right, Judge," observed Benjamin, with a knowing nod ofhis head toward Richard, that bespoke the cordiality between them,"Now, in the old country, the kings majesty touches for the evil, andthat is a disorder that the greatest doctor in the fleet, or for thematter of that admiral either: cant cure; only the kings majesty ora man thats been hanged. Yes, the squire is right; for if-so-be thathe wasnt, how is it that the seventh son always is a doctor, whetherhe ships for the cockpit or not? Now when we fell in with themounsheers, under De Grasse, dye see, we hid aboard of us a doctor--"

　　"Very well, Benjamin," interrupted Elizabeth, glancing her eyes fromthe hunter to Monsieur Le Quoi, who was most politely attending towhat fell from each individual in succession, "you shall tell me ofthat, and all your entertaining adventures together; just now, a roommust be prepared, in which the arm of this gentleman can be dressed."

　　"I will attend to that myself, Cousin Elizabeth," observed Richard,somewhat haughtily. "The young man will not suffer because Marmadukechooses to be a little obstinate. Follow me, my friend, and I willexamine the hurt myself."

　　"It will be well to wait for the physician," said the hunter coldly;"he cannot be distant,"

　　Richard paused and looked at the speaker, a little astonished at thelanguage, and a good deal appalled at the refusal. He construed thelatter into an act of hostility, and, placing his hands in the pocketsagain, he walked up to Mr. Grant, and, putting his face close to thecountenance of the divine, said in an undertone:

　　"Now, mark my words--there will be a story among the settlers, that allour necks would have been broken but for that fellow--as if I did notknow how to drive. Why, you might have turned the horses yourself,sir; nothing was easier; it was only pulling hard on the nigh rein,and touching the off flank of the leader. I hope, my dear sir, youare not at all hurt by the upset the lad gave us?"

　　The reply was interrupted by the entrance of the village physician.