roud to say, no Englishman ever does in vain. You may smile, sir," he
continued, detecting Freddy in the act of telegraphing to me his dissent
from the last doctrine propounded. "You may ridicule your old father's
opinion, but you'll find it no laughing matter to clear yourself,
and justify your conduct, in a court of justice. They may bring it in
conspiracy, for I daresay you plotted it all beforehand; they may bring
it in riot and illegal assembly, for there were three of you engaged in
it; they may bring it in treason, for you incited his majesty's subjects
to commit a broach of the peace, and interfered with the proper officers
in the discharge of their duty: 'pon my word I don't know that they may
not bring it in murder, for the poor child that had the measles in the
town died between six and seven o'clock this morning, and no doubt the
confusion had something to do with accelerating its death. So, sir, if
you're not hanged, you're certain to be transported; and don't ask me
to assist you; I've lived by supporting the law for fifty years, and I'm
not going in my old age to lend my countenance to those who break it,
and set it at nought, though my own son be one of them. I have spoken
my mind plainly, Mr. Fairlegh, more so perhaps than I should have done
before a guest ~142~~in my own house, but it is a matter upon which I
feel deeply. I wish you good-morning, sir." So saying, he turned away,
and stalked majestically out of the room, closely followed, not to say
imitated, by the cat, who held her tail erect, so as to form a right
angle with the line of her back, and walked with a hypocritical air of
meek dignity and chastened self-approval.

"That's what I call pleasant and satisfactory," exclaimed Freddy, after
a pause, during which each member of the party exchanged glances of
consternation with somebody else. "Who would ever have imagined the
possibility of the governor's turning cantankerous--assuming the
character of the Roman father upon the shortest possible notice, and
thirsting to sacrifice his son on the altar of the outraged laws of his
country! What an interesting victim I shall make, to be sure! Lucy must
lend me that wreath of roses she looked so pretty in last night, to wear
at the fatal ceremony. And my dear mother shall stand near, tearing out
those revered locks of hers by handfuls." (The reader should perhaps
be informed that Mrs. Coleman rejoiced in a false front of so open and
ingenuous a nature,