"Ah!"
His manner became impressive; plainly he considered himself one who imparts portentous news.
"Master Murray, as you will soon learn, sir, is our most enterprising merchant. He hath built up with much difficulty a valuable trade with the French, with the result that the business of the province hath doubled.
"But the governor will have none of it, or so he says. He hath done all that he may, even to passing laws against Master Murray's trade; but now, it seems, Master Murray hath carried his case to the Lords of Trade, who have refused to approve the laws."
I thanked the man and pushed on through the crowd. So that was the story Murray was telling! And plainly he had the prestige and the following to make himself a dangerous force, even, as he had boasted, against the governor and the provincial authorities.
But on the outskirts of the gathering I chanced to overhear another conversation which indicated that Murray's hold upon public opinion was perhaps not so strong as my first informant had led me to believe.
"He hath the devil's own luck," murmured a prosperous-appearing citizen.
"Aye," said his neighbor bitterly; "they will ply a grand traffic over the Doom Trail."
The odd name, so sinister in its implication, struck my imagination. I lingered behind the two, pretending to peer over their heads.
"And 'tis these fools here who will pay for it in the long run," answered the other.