第20章

“Sotheytellme。”saidDominicus。

“Ineversawamanlooksoyellowandthinasthesquiredoes。”

continuedthetoll-gatherer。“SaysItomyself，tonight，he’smore

likeaghostoranoldmummythangoodfleshandblood。”

Thepedlarstrainedhiseyesthroughthetwilight，andcouldjust

discernthehorsemannowfaraheadonthevillageroad。Heseemedto

recognizetherearofMr。Higginbotham；butthroughtheevening

shadows，andamidthedustfromthehorse’sfeet，thefigure

appeareddimandunsubstantial；asiftheshapeofthemysterious

oldmanwerefaintlymouldedofdarknessandgraylight。Dominicus

shivered。

“Mr。Higginbothamhascomebackfromtheotherworld，bywayofthe

Kimballtonturnpike。”thoughthe。

Heshookthereinsandrodeforward，keepingaboutthesame

distanceintherearofthegrayoldshadow，tillthelatterwas

concealedbyabendoftheroad。Onreachingthispoint，thepedlarno

longersawthemanonhorseback，butfoundhimselfattheheadof

thevillagestreet，notfarfromanumberofstoresandtwotaverns，

clusteredroundthemeeting-housesteeple。Onhisleftwereastone

wallandagate，theboundaryofawood-lot，beyondwhichlayan

orchard，fartherstill，amowingfield，andlastofall，ahouse。

ThesewerethepremisesofMr。Higginbotham，whosedwellingstood

besidetheoldhighway，buthadbeenleftinthebackgroundbythe

Kimballtonturnpike。Dominicusknewtheplace；andthelittlemare

stoppedshortbyinstinct；forhewasnotconsciousoftightening

thereins。

“Forthesoulofme，Icannotgetbythisgate！”saidhe，

trembling。“Inevershallbemyownmanagain，tillIseewhether

Mr。HigginbothamishangingontheSt。Michael’spear-tree！”

Heleapedfromthecart，gavethereinaturnroundthegate

post，andranalongthegreenpathofthewood-lotasifOldNickwere

chasingbehind。Justthenthevillageclocktolledeight，andas

eachdeepstrokefell，Dominicusgaveafreshboundandflewfaster

thanbefore，till，diminthesolitarycentreoftheorchard，hesaw

thefatedpear-tree。Onegreatbranchstretchedfromtheoldcontorted

trunkacrossthepath，andthrewthedarkestshadowonthatone

spot。Butsomethingseemedtostrugglebeneaththebranch！

Thepedlarhadneverpretendedtomorecouragethanbefitsamanof

peaceableoccupation，norcouldheaccountforhisvaloronthisawful

emergency。Certainitis，however，thatherushedforward，

prostratedasturdyIrishmanwiththebuttendofhiswhip，andfound-

notindeedhangingontheSt。Michael’spear-tree，buttrembling

beneathit，withahalterroundhisneck-theold，identicalMr。

Higginbotham！

“Mr。Higginbotham。”saidDominicustremulously，“you’reanhonest

man，andI’lltakeyourwordforit。Haveyoubeenhangedornot？”

Iftheriddlebenotalreadyguessed，afewwordswillexplain

thesimplemachinerybywhichthis“comingevent“wasmadeto“cast

itsshadowbefore。”Threemenhadplottedtherobberyandmurderof

Mr。Higginbotham；twoofthem，successively，lostcourageandfled，

eachdelayingthecrimeonenightbytheirdisappearance；thethird

wasintheactofperpetration，whenachampion，blindlyobeyingthe

calloffate，liketheheroesofoldromance，appearedintheperson

ofDominicusPike。

Itonlyremainstosay，thatMr。Higginbothamtookthepedlar

intohighfavor，sanctionedhisaddressestothepretty

schoolmistress，andsettledhiswholepropertyontheirchildren，

allowingthemselvestheinterest。Induetime，theoldgentleman

cappedtheclimaxofhisfavors，bydyingaChristiandeath，inbed，

sincewhichmelancholyeventDominicusPikehasremovedfrom

Kimballton，andestablishedalargetobaccomanufactoryinmynative

village。

byNathanielHawthorne

AFTERTHEKINGSofGreatBritainhadassumedtherightof

appointingthecolonialgovernors，themeasuresofthelatterseldom

metwiththereadyandgeneralapprobationwhichhadbeenpaidto

thoseoftheirpredecessors，undertheoriginalcharters。Thepeople

lookedwithmostjealousscrutinytotheexerciseofpowerwhichdid

notemanatefromthemselves，andtheyusuallyrewardedtheirrulers

withslendergratitudeforthecompliancesbywhich，insoftening

theirinstructionsfrombeyondthesea，theyhadincurredthe

reprehensionofthosewhogavethem。TheannalsofMassachusettsBay

willinformus，thatofsixgovernorsinthespaceofaboutforty

yearsfromthesurrenderoftheoldcharter，underJamesII，two

wereimprisonedbyapopularinsurrection；athird，asHutchinson

inclinestobelieve，wasdrivenfromtheprovincebythewhizzingofa

musketball；afourth，intheopinionofthesamehistorian，was

hastenedtohisgravebycontinualbickeringswiththeHouseof

Representatives；andtheremainingtwo，aswellastheirsuccessors，

tilltheRevolution，werefavoredwithfewandbriefintervalsof

peacefulsway。Theinferiormembersofthecourtparty，intimesof

highpoliticalexcitement，ledscarcelyamoredesirablelife。These

remarksmayserveasaprefacetothefollowingadventures，which

chanceduponasummernight，notfarfromahundredyearsago。The

reader，inordertoavoidalonganddrydetailofcolonialaffairs，

isrequestedtodispensewithanaccountofthetrainofcircumstances

thathadcausedmuchtemporaryinflammationofthepopularmind。

Itwasnearnineo’clockofamoonlightevening，whenaboat

crossedtheferrywithasinglepassenger，whohadobtainedhis

conveyanceatthatunusualhourbythepromiseofanextrafare。While

hestoodonthelandingplace，searchingineitherpocketforthe

meansoffulfillinghisagreement，theferrymanliftedalantern，by

theaidofwhich，andthenewly-risenmoon，hetookaveryaccurate

surveyofthestranger’sfigure。Hewasayouthofbarelyeighteen

years，evidentlycountry-bred，andnow，asitshouldseem，uponhis

firstvisittotown。Hewascladinacoarsegraycoat，wellworn，but

inexcellentrepair；hisunder-garmentsweredurablyconstructedof

leather，andfittedtighttoapairofserviceableandwell-shaped

limbs；hisstockingsofblueyarnweretheincontrovertibleworkof

amotherorasister；andonhisheadwasathree-corneredhat，

whichinitsbetterdayshadperhapsshelteredthegraverbrowof

thelad’sfather。Underhisleftarmwasaheavycudgel，formedof

anoaksapling，andretainingapartofthehardenedroot；andhis

equipmentwascompletedbyawallet，notsoabundantlystockedasto

incommodethevigorousshouldersonwhichithung。Brown，curly

hair，well-shapedfeatures，andbright，cheerfuleyes，werenature’s

gifts，andworthallthatartcouldhavedoneforhisadornment。

Theyouth，oneofwhosenameswasRobin，finallydrewfromhis

pocketthehalfofalittleprovincebilloffiveshillings，which，in

thedepreciationofthatsortofcurrency，didbutsatisfythe

ferryman’sdemand，withthesurplusofasexangularpieceof

parchment，valuedatthreepence。Hethenwalkedforwardintothe

town，withaslightastepasifhisday’sjourneyhadnotalready

exceededthirtymiles，andwithaseageraneyeasifhewereentering

Londoncity，insteadofthelittlemetropolisofaNewEnglandcolony。

BeforeRobinhadproceededfar，however，itoccurredtohimthathe

knewnotwhithertodirecthissteps；sohepaused，andlookedup

anddownthenarrowstreet，scrutinizingthesmallandmeanwooden

buildingsthatwerescatteredoneitherside。

“Thislowhovelcannotbemykinsman’sdwelling。”thoughthe，

“noryonderoldhouse，wherethemoonlightentersatthebroken

casement；andtrulyIseenonehereaboutsthatmightbeworthyofhim。

Itwouldhavebeenwisetoinquiremywayoftheferryman，and

doubtlesshewouldhavegonewithme，andearnedashillingfromthe

majorforhispains。ButthenextmanImeetwilldoaswell。”

Heresumedhiswalk，andwasgladtoperceivethatthestreetnow

becamewider，andthehousesmorerespectableintheirappearance。

Hesoondiscernedafiguremovingonmoderatelyinadvance，and

hastenedhisstepstoovertakeit。AsRobindrewnigh，hesawthatthe

passengerwasamaninyears，withafullperiwigofgrayhair，a

wide-skirtedcoatofdarkcloth，andsilkstockingsrolledabovehis

knees。Hecarriedalongandpolishedcane，whichhestruckdown

perpendicularlybeforehim，ateverystep；andatregularintervalshe

utteredtwosuccessivehems，ofapeculiarlysolemnandsepulchral

intonation。Havingmadetheseobservations，Robinlaidholdofthe

skirtoftheoldman’scoat，justwhenthelightfromtheopendoor

andwindowsofabarber’sshopfelluponboththeirfigures。“Good

eveningtoyou，honoredsir。”saidhe，makingalowbow，andstill

retaininghisholdoftheskirt。“Iprayyoutellmewhereaboutsis

thedwellingofmykinsman，MajorMolineux。”

Theyouth’squestionwasutteredveryloudly；andoneofthe

barbers，whoserazorwasdescendingonawell-soapedchin，andanother

whowasdressingaRamillieswig，lefttheiroccupations，andcame

tothedoor。Thecitizen，inthemeantime，turnedalong-favored

countenanceuponRobin，andansweredhiminatoneofexcessive

angerandannoyance。Histwosepulchralhems，however，brokeinto

theverycentreofhisrebuke，withmostsingulareffect，likea

thoughtofthecoldgraveobtrudingamongwrathfulpassions。

“Letgomygarment，fellow！Itellyou，Iknownotthemanyou

speakof。What！Ihaveauthority，Ihave-hem，hem-authority；and

ifthisbetherespectyoushowforyourbetters，yourfeetshallbe

broughtacquaintedwiththestocksbydaylight，tomorrowmorning！”

Robinreleasedtheoldman’sskirt，andhastenedaway，pursuedby

anill-manneredroaroflaughterfromthebarber’sshop。Hewasat

firstconsiderablysurprisedbytheresultofhisquestion，but，being

ashrewdyouth，soonthoughthimselfabletoaccountforthemystery。

Thisissomecountryrepresentative。”washisconclusion，“who

hasneverseentheinsideofmykinsman’sdoor，andlacksthebreeding

toanswerastrangercivilly。Themanisold，orverily-Imightbe

temptedtoturnbackandsmitehimonthenose。Ah，Robin，Robin！even

thebarber’sboyslaughatyouchoosingsuchaguide！Youwillbe

wiserintime，friendRobin。”

Henowbecameentangledinasuccessionofcrookedandnarrow

streets，whichcrossedeachother，andmeanderedatnogreat

distancefromthewater-side。Thesmelloftarwasobvioustohis

nostrils，themastsofvesselspiercedthemoonlightabovethetopsof

thebuildings，andthenumeroussigns，whichRobinpausedtoread，

informedhimthathewasnearthecentreofbusiness。Butthe

streetswereempty，theshopswereclosed，andlightswerevisible

onlyinthesecondstoriesofafewdwelling-houses。Atlength，onthe

cornerofanarrowlane，throughwhichhewaspassing，hebeheldthe

broadcountenanceofaBritishheroswingingbeforethedoorofan

inn，whenceproceededthevoicesofmanyguests。Thecasementofone

ofthelowerwindowswasthrownback，andaverythincurtain

permittedRobintodistinguishapartyatsupper，rounda

well-furnishedtable。Thefragranceofthegoodcheersteamedforth

intotheouterair，andtheyouthcouldnotfailtorecollectthatthe

lastremnantofhistravellingstockofprovisionhadyieldedtohis

morningappetite，andthatnoonhadfound，andlefthim，dinnerless。

“O，thataparchmentthree-pennymightgivemearighttosit

downatyondertable！”saidRobin，withasigh。“Butthemajorwill

makemewelcometothebestofhisvictuals；soIwillevenstep

boldlyin，andinquiremywaytohisdwelling。”