Mary having put her sick mother to bed, returned to the parlor, from whence she was proceeding to the kitchen, to make whey with her own hands for the invalid, when in passing along the hall, Harman and her brother John met her. She was in a hurry, and was about to pass without speaking a word, when she and they were startled by the following dialogue—
“So, Bob, did you see the pale beauty in the parlor?”
“I did, she's a devilish pretty girl.”
“She is so—well, but do you know that she is one of Mr. Phil's ladies. Sure he was caught in her bed-room some time ago.”
“Certainly, every one knows that; and it appears she is breaking her heart because he won't make an honest woman of her.”
John caught his sister, whose agitation, was dreadful, and led her away; making at the same time, a signal to Harman to remain quiet until his return—a difficult task, and. Harman felt it so. In the meantime, the. following appendix was added to the dialogue already detailed—
“Why do you hould such talk under this, roof, Leeper?” asked a third voice.
The only reply given to this very natural query was a subdued cackle, evidently proceeding from the two first speakers.
“Do you both see that strong horse-pistol,” said the third voice—for in those days; an Execution was almost always levied by armed men—“by the Bible of truth, if I hear another word of such conversation from any man here while we're under this roof, I'll sink the butt of it into his skull! It's bad enough that we're here on an unpleasant duty—”
“Unpleasant! speak for yourself.”