lege."

"You think so?"

"Sartin, Miss Beswick; don't you?"

"Why, then, _I_ ought to have the same."

"Of course; nobody in this house'll prevent your doin' what you're
satisfied 's your duty."

"Thank ye! much obleeged!" said Miss Beswick, with gleaming, gristly
features. "That's all I ask. Now I'm satisfied it's my duty to tell ye
what I've been tellin' ye, and what I'm goin' to tell ye: that's _my_
duty. And then it'll be _your_ duty to do what _you_ think 's right.
That's plain, a'n't it?"

"Wal, wal!" said Mr. Ducklow, discomfited; "I can't hender yer talkin',
I s'pose; though it seems a man ought to have a right to peace and quiet
in his own house."

"Yes, and in his own conscience too!" said Miss Beswick. "And if you'll
hearken to me now, I promise you'll have peace and quiet in your
conscience, and in your house too, such as you never have had yit. I
s'pose you know your great fault, don't ye? Graspin',--that's your
fault, that's your besettin' sin, Mr. Ducklow. You used to give it as an
excuse for not helpin' Reuben more, that you had your daughter to
provide for. Well, your daughter has got married; she married a rich
man,--you looked out for that,--and she's provided for, fur as property
can provide for any one. Now, without a child in the world to feel
anxious about, you keep layin' up and layin' up, and 'll continner to
lay up, I s'pose, till ye die, and leave a great fortin' to your
daughter, that already has enough, and jest a pittance to Reuben and
Thaddeus."

"No, no, Miss Beswick! you're wrong, you're wrong, Miss Beswick! I mean
to do the handsome thing by both on 'em."

"Mean to! ye mean to! That's the way ye flatter yer conscience, and
cheat yer own soul. Why don't ye do what ye _mean_ to do to once, and
make sure on 't? That's the way to git the good of your property. I tell
ye, the time's comin' when the recollection of havin' done a good action
will be a greater comfort to ye than all the property in the world. Then
you'll look back, and say, 'Why _didn't_ I do this and do that with my
money, when 't was in my power, 'stead of hoardin' up and hoardin' up
for others to spend after me?' Now, as I was goin' to say, ye didn't
_dis_courage Reuben's enlistin', and ye didn't _in_courage him the way
ye might. You ought to 've said to him, 'Go, Reuben, if ye see it to be
yer duty; and, as fur as money goes, ye sha'n't suffer for 't. I've got
enough for all on us; and I'll pay yer debts, if nee