After a few uneasy minutes we heard a noise in the street, as if a great number of people were coming up to the house.
The housedoor was opened, and a brawling crowd entered the hall and pressed forward into the dining room. The mob was led by Fest, who, evidently, had just been through a hot fight. His woolen shirt was torn, and he swung a heavy butcher’s axe stained with blood.
“Here I am again, Dr. Leete”, he cried in his stentorian voice. “I gave you fair warning that I would not enter your house again as a friend. And since, you damned old hypocritical tyrant, you have given orders to imprison me in a mad-house, I have resolved that you shall die this evening. The people of Boston shall be relieved from your tyranny”.
I seized a knife and stepping to the side of Dr. Leete, I stood ready to cover his body with my own.
But at this moment the mob’s attention was distracted by the sudden appearance in the room of Forest, who jumped on the dining table and addressed the crowd without losing a second.
“I suppose you know who I am”, he said “I am an enemy of this man”, and he pointed to Dr. Leete. “Because I would not defend this miserable administration I was removed from my place as professor of Shawmut College, and it was Dr. Leete who assigned me to the position of janitor”.
“That’s just like the miserable old tyrant”, shouted a dirty looking fellow.
“Therefore, I say: Down with an administration that strangled free speech” continued Mr. Forest. “Down with tyranny! But let us not butcher this miserable old fellow. It is not worthy of young and vigorous men like us to kill an unarmed old creature. Let us place him in an insane asylum, where he intended to imprison our friend Fest”.
“Yes, yes, put him in a madhouse”, the mob yelled.
It was evident that Forest was trying to save Dr. Leete’s life. My eye wandered to Edith. She was very pale but composed. She had put her left arm around her father and she met my look with an expression of sympathy. Unfortunately, Fest noticed that expression in Edith’s eyes, and his jealousy broke forth with increased force.