cannot think that any body of
armed men dare interrupt or attack a convocation of peaceable subjects,
met solely to petition Parliament against famine for themselves and
slavery for their children."

"Famine!" quoth Mr. Brown. "Indeed it is very true, very! times are
dreadfully bad. I can scarcely get my own living; Parliament certainly
ought to do something: but you must forgive me, Mr. Wolfe; it may be
dangerous to talk with you on these matters; and, now I think of it, the
sooner I get to W---- the better; good morning; a shower's coming on.
You won't have the umbrella, then?"

"They dare not," said Wolfe to himself, "no, no,--they dare not attack
us; they dare not;" and clenching his fist, he pursued, with a quicker
step, and a more erect mien, his solitary way.

When he was about the distance of three miles from W----, he was
overtaken by a middle-aged man of a frank air and a respectable
appearance. "Good day, sir," said he; "we seem to be journeying the same
way: will it be against your wishes to join company?"

Wolfe assented, and the stranger resumed:--

"I suppose, sir, you intend to be present at the meeting at W----
to-morrow? There will be an immense concourse, and the entrance of a
new detachment of soldiers, and the various reports of the likelihood of
their interference with the assembly, make it an object of some interest
and anxiety to look forward to."

"True, true," said Wolfe, slowly, eying his new acquaintance with a
deliberate and scrutinizing attention. "It will, indeed, be interesting
to see how far an evil and hardy government will venture to encroach
upon the rights of the people, which it ruins while it pretends to
rule."

"Of a truth," rejoined the other, "I rejoice that I am no politician.
I believe my spirit is as free as any cooped in the narrow dungeon of
earth's clay can well be; yet I confess that it has drawn none of its
liberty from book, pamphlet, speech, or newspaper, of modern times."

"So much the worse for you, sir," said Wolfe, sourly: "the man who has
health and education can find no excuse for supineness or indifference
to that form of legislation by which his country decays or prospers."

"Why," said the other, gayly, "I willingly confess myself less of a
patriot than a philosopher; and as long as I am harmless, I strive
very little to be useful, in a public capacity; in a private one, as a
father, a husband, and a neighbour, I trust I am not utterly without my
va