The Gentleman--who while I was on Sat. last addressing the court, TOOK MY CANE from the seat behind me and carried it away--is respectfully requested to send it when he has done with it, to the Bar of the Swan Tavern. Luther Martin. It hardly required a public notice to let people know where Mr. Martin in his moments of relaxation was most likely to be found. _Chapter_ XVIII One of the principals who failed to hear Luther Martin’s masterly argument was Harman Blennerhassett. He felt unwell on Thursday; on Friday he awoke with a continuation of his indisposition attended by a fever which made him so miserable he returned to bed without waiting for breakfast. In keeping with the prevailing custom he dosed himself with three or four grains of calomel. Blennerhassett was a hypochondriac but on this occasion his ailment was not imaginary. He was a victim of influenza which suddenly struck Richmond in epidemic form. Next day the news reached him in the penitentiary that half the families in the town were afflicted. The disease hit the staff of the _Enquirer_ so hard that it was with the greatest difficulty that popular organ of public opinion continued publication. Kind Mrs. Gamble heard of Blennerhassett’s illness and did what she could to contribute to his comfort. On Sunday she sent him fruit and fresh butter and fine calf’s foot jelly nicely chilled in ice. The same day he was honored by a call from Mr. Martin and was by that time sufficiently recovered to receive the visitor. Mr. Martin appeared none the worse for wear as a result of his very strenuous labor in court. Blennerhassett recommended his brandy as being considered superior and put a pint tumbler before the Marylander. No ceremonies retarded the libation. Blennerhassett’s absence from the court during the time Mr. Martin held the floor was not to deprive him of the privilege of getting a generous sample of the gentleman’s eloquence and wisdom. The visit did not exceed thirty-five minutes. Yet so fluent was the speaker that he delivered an account of an entire week’s proceedings in the trial. He not only quoted verbatim long extracts from his own speech but also extracts from the speeches of other lawyers on both sides of the case. Mr. Martin also regaled his host with whole columns, from a series of papers, which he had written under the pen name of Investigator. He also caricatured Jefferson and gave a history of his acquaintance with Burr, expatiating on the latter’s virtues and suffering. These last were not received enthusiastically by Mr. Blennerhassett. At the moment he happened to be feeling particularly aggrieved over the manner in which he had been duped by the adventurer. In fact, the laudatory comments on Burr made by Martin raised the suspicion that he had been deliberately sent by Burr to restore Blennerhassett’s good humor as a precaution against the ever-present danger of his turning state’s evidence.