Mrs. Horton was an American landlady, in the strictest sense of the word. This implies many features distinct from her European counterpart; some of which tell greatly in her favour, and others not so much so. Decency of exterior, and a feminine deportment, are so characteristic of the sex in this country, that they need scarcely be adverted to. There were no sly jokes, no _doubles entendres_ with Mrs. Horton; who maintained too grave a countenance to admit of such liberties. Then, she was entirely free from the little expedients of a desire to gain that are naturally enough adopted in older communities, where the pressure of numbers drives the poor to their wits’-end, in order to live. American abundance had generated American liberality in Mrs. Horton; and if one of her guests asked for bread, she would give him the loaf. She was, moreover, what the country round termed “accommodating;” meaning that she was obliging and good-natured. Her faults were a fierce love of gossip, concealed under a veil of great indifference and modesty, a prying curiosity, and a determination to know everything, touching everybody, who ever came under her roof. This last propensity had got her into difficulties, several injurious reports having been traced to her tongue, which was indebted to her imagination for fully one-half of what she had circulated. It is scarcely necessary to add, that, among the right set, Mrs. Horton was a great talker. As Dunscomb was a favourite, he was not likely to escape on the present occasion; the room being clear of all the guests but those of his own party. “I am glad to get a little quiet talk with you, ’Squire Dunscomb,” the landlady commenced; “for a body can depend on what is heard from such authority. Do they mean to hang Mary Monson?” “It is rather premature to ask that question, Mrs. Horton. The jury is empannelled, and there we stand at present.” “Is it a good jury?—Some of our Duke’s county juries are none too good, they tell me.” “The whole institution is a miserable contrivance for the administration of justice. Could a higher class of citizens compose the juries, the system might still do, with a few improvements.” “Why not elect them?” demanded the landlady, who was _ex officio_, a politician, much as women are usually politicians in this country. In other words, she _felt_ her opinions, without knowing their reasons. “God forbid, my good Mrs. Horton—we have elective judges; that will do for the present. Too much of a good thing is as injurious as the positively bad. I prefer the present mode of drawing lots.” “Have you got a Quaker in the box?—If you have, you are safe enough.” “I doubt if the District Attorney would suffer that; although he appears to be kind and considerate. The man who goes into that box must be prepared to hang if necessary.” “For my part, I wish all hanging was done away with. I can see no good that hanging can do a man.”