er of the woman which absorbed
their entire thoughts; and while Winthrop quoted her letters, so
full of beautiful sentiments, so elevated, and so refined, Quackinboss
related many little traits of her captivating manner and winning
address.

"It's all the same in natur', sir," said he, summing up. "Where will
you see prettier berries than on the deadly nightshade? and do you think
that they was made to look so temptin' for nothing? Or wasn't it jest
for a lesson to us to say, 'Be on your guard, stranger; what's good to
look at may be mortal bad to feed on.' There's many a warnin' in things
that don't talk with our tongues, but have a language of their own."

"Very true all that, sir," resumed the other; "but it was always a
puzzle to me why people with such good faculties would make so bad a use
of them."

"Ain't it all clear enough they was meant for examples,--jest that and
no more? You see that clever fellow yonder; he can do fifty things you
and I could n't; he has got brains for this, that, and t'other. Well,
if he's a rogue, he won't be satisfied with workin' them brains God has
given him, because he has no right sense of thankfulness in his heart,
but he 'll be counterfitin' all sorts of brains that he has n't got at
all: these are the devil's gifts, and they do the devil's work."

"I know one thing," said Winthrop, doggedly, "it is that sort of folk
make the best way in life."

"Clear wrong--all straight on end--unsound doctrine that, sir. We never
think of countin' the failures, the chaps that are in jail, or at the
galleys, or maybe hanged. We only take the two or three successful
rogues that figure in high places, and we say, 'So much for knavery'
Now let me jest ask you, How did they come there? Was n't it by pretend
in' to be good men? Wasn't it by mock charity, mock patriotism, mock
sentiment in fifty ways, supported now and then by a bit of real
action, just as a forger always slips a real gold piece amongst his
counterfeits? And what is all this but sayin' the way to be prosperous
is to be good--"

"Or to seem good!" broke in Winthrop.

"Well, sir, the less we question seemin' the better! I 'd rather be
taken in every day of the week than I 'd go on doubtin' every hour of
the day, and I believe one must come very nigh to either at last."

As they thus chatted, a light post-carriage rolled into the inn yard,
and Dr. Layton and Alfred hastily got out and made for the apartment of
their friends.