The surprise occasioned by the very sudden and extraordinary departure of Sir David Bruce, afforded a topic of conversation and altercation among the gossips and quid nuncs of the vicinage, for at least a fortnight.—By that time the novelty appeared to melt away; but while it lasted all various changes were rung with endless interpolations, until they could not possibly be interpreted.—Some were inclined to throw the entire blame to the account of Adelaide, as the sole cause of her husband's departure. But others, both male and female recriminators, would entirely (if in their power) fling the whole balance of censure against Sir David Bruce. At length the parish and the county became quite sick and weary of such peevish conjectures;—until "cormorant-devouring Time" put an end to them, at least fulfilling his part, inasmuch showing that he is the destroyer of prejudice and of party, and of all sublunary things:—
"Tempus edax rerum."
But it is in vain to disguise, and it would be highly culpable, if it were within the power of human ingenuity, to deny it, that often, too often, human passion, or it should be called brutal rage, assails the noblest minds and the most generous dispositions; those who are but too inflammably alive to whatever they conceive to be base, grovelling, or unjust—such are probably the most liable to "the sin that easily besets them." It is indeed to be lamented how suddenly passion in the moral, like the whirlwind in the physical world, can rend up by the roots all that graced and adorned human life, boldly and rudely usurping the seat of reason, and leaving only to cool and repentant reflection the unavailing sighs and sorrowing tears of self-crimination!
The foregoing story, tragical as it is true, incontestibly proves that "trifles light as air" assumed in the commencement, subsequently, if encouraged, increase and multiply in a ratio and amount of accession and aggression, until recrimination is produced; then follow mutual hatreds, quarrels, and bickerings, until awakened and aroused at a fatal moment and at a savage period, as we have described, all these bad passions burst forth resistless into a fatal blaze, which was only to be quenched by the shedding of fraternal blood!
A dramatic poet has so beautifully expressed our meaning, that we cannot resist quoting his language, and with the passage concluding this chapter:—
——"O, be obstinately just!
Indulge no passion, and betray no trust;
Let not man be bold enough to say,
Thus, and no farther, shall my passion stray!
The first crime past, compels us on to more,