Harrington: A Story of True LoveO'Connor, William Douglas
General
Harrington: A Story of True Love
O'Connor, William Douglas
Slavery -- United States -- Fiction
Tugmutton, a little apprehensive lest Harrington should not take the
same view of the crowning feat, fried the potatoes in discreet silence,
while he and Muriel questioned Roux. It appeared that Roux’s wife and the
children had been invited to remain a week in Cambridge, at the house of
the brother-in-law, who was a well-to-do colored man, Roux himself having
come into town, with Tugmutton, to attend to his business. It was at once
decided that Roux should take up his abode for the present at Temple
street, and that Harrington should write to his family, stating where he
was, and the reason for this step. Tugmutton, who was to keep his father
company, was to be dispatched with the letter.
This settled, the fire was slaked, and locking the door behind them,
they all descended to the carriage. Tugmutton, having objected to so
speedy a departure, on the ground that the fried potatoes would be
sacrificed, which he regarded as a serious breach of the domestic economy
of the establishment, had been prevailed upon to compromise the matter
by bestowing those edibles, together with the remnant of the meat and
whatever bread there was in the house, on big Ophelia and her elvish
husband in the room opposite. “You know, Charles,” Muriel had gaily
observed to him, “that these are the days of the Compromise Measures, and
you must be in fashion.” Touched by this appeal to his statesmanship, the
fat Puck had made the donation with the air of one giving away a million
of money, and the donation having been graciously received, he had, by
way of prudence, loftily added a bouncing fib, to the effect that he and
Roux were going out to stay some time at his uncle’s country-seat in
Cambridge.
Two or three policemen had arrived in Southac street, just after the exit
of the Southerner. They had prudently abstained from interfering with
the excited crowd; but the crowd had dispersed, and few of their number
remained in the street as the carriage came for Roux and drove away again.
Arrived at Temple street, Roux was installed in an upper chamber; books
and pictures were left him to while away his days of imprisonment, and
Harrington and Muriel withdrew to the library, to consult with Mrs.
Eastman as to what was to be done with Antony.
It was finally decided that the news of his brother’s arrival should be
broken to Roux the next morning, and then, that Antony, too, should be
conveyed to the house and shut up with Roux. It was also resolved that
all of them should take up their future abiding place in Worcester, as
soon as it should be judged safe to remove them; for, with such a man as
Lafitte alive, they could no more go at large in safety in Boston, at
that period, than Italian patriots could in Naples, among the sbirri of
Bomba.
The council over, Mrs. Eastman retired to send up some dinner to Roux,
and Harrington, meanwhile, dashed off the letter for Tugmutton to carry
to Cambridge.
“Good!” said Muriel, reading what he had written. Harrington rose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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