“Dear me! how surprising,” softly exclaimed Mrs. Atkins. “Why, yes, madam, very,” returned Mr. Lafitte. “It was really odd to come North and have the arch abolition fanatic remind one of princely Tom Lafourcade, of Mobile.” “Oh, he’s very handsome,” lisped Caroline, pensively. “But so fanatical.” “I tell you, Mr. Lafitte, it’s an awful pity about Phillips,” broke in Mr. Atkins. “He’s very much of a gentleman, a splendid orator, full of ability every way, and belongs to one of our most respectable families. Why, I heard Choate say once that if he’d stuck to the bar, he’d have been the first lawyer in America. Yes, sir. And there’s no doubt that if he was in our party he’d be second to no man in the country, unless it was Webster. But he’s thrown himself away—positively sacrificed all his influence and wasted his talents by joining that abolition crew.” “In short, Nicodemused himself into nothing, as Charles Lamb says,” observed Horatio. “Nicodemused?” interrogated Mr. Lafitte. “Might I ask the meaning of that phrase, sir? I am so dull, and I confess my unacquaintance with Lamb.” It is not Charles Lamb, but another humorist, who, alluding to the obstructive influence of an ugly name upon its owner’s career, and giving parents a quaint hint for the christening, remarks, “don’t Nicodemus a boy into nothing.” Horatio, who only remembered the phrase for its oddity, and as usual with his quotations, lugged it into his remarks, without much thought of its relevancy, utterly forgetting the context and the meaning, was considerably disconcerted by Mr. Lafitte’s question, and reddened slightly. “Nicodemused, Mr. Lafitte?” he stammered. “Why, you know, sir,” he continued, as a happy means of extrication from his difficulty, suggested itself—“you know that the Bible says Nicodemus went to Christ.” “Oh, yes, I see. And lost his influence by so doing,” blandly answered Mr. Lafitte, with a furtive smile which nobody noticed. “Yes, yes. That’s very clear. Very happily said, sir, and I’m much obliged to you for enlightening my stupidity. So Phillips has Nicodemused himself into nothing?” “Indeed he has, sir,” replied Mr. Atkins. “Just thrown away his talents, and misused his eloquence in denouncing the Compromise Measures, and Mr. Webster, and Slavery, and all the best interests of his country.” “Be Jove, he’s a fool, that’s what he is,” remarked Thomas, caressing his military whiskerage. “He’s worse, Tom,” replied his father; “he’s a traitor, and ought to be indicted for treason.” “Does he move in good society here, Mr. Atkins?” blandly asked Mr. Lafitte. “He! Why, sir, he’s a rank Disunionist!” exclaimed the merchant. “A Disunionist received into good society! My dear sir, what are you thinking of!”