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THE WAYS OF THE HOUR
preparations that would be necessary; “unless we should happen to be called in at the post mortal.”
“Post mortem, you must mean, Hoof,” a slight smile flash-
ing on the lawyer’s countenance, and as quickly disappearing.
“So you consider it a settled thing that my client is to be found
guilty?”
“That’s what they say, sir; and things turn out, in this country, pretty much as they say aforehand. For my part, sir, I never
quite liked the criminal’s looks.”
“Her looks! I do not know where you would go to find a
more lovely young woman, Stephen!”
This was said with a vivacity and suddenness that startled
the coachman a little. Even Dunscomb seemed surprised at his
own animation, and had the grace to change colour. The fact
was, that he too was feeling the influence of woman, youthful,
lovely, spirited, refined, and surrounded with difficulties. This
was the third of Mary Monson’s conquests since her arrest, if
John Wilmeter’s wavering admiration could be placed in this
category; viz., Timms, the nephew, and the counsellor himself.
Neither was absolutely in love; but each and all submitted to
an interest of an unusual degree in the person, character and
fortunes of this unknown female. Timms, alone, had got so far
as to contemplate a marriage; the idea having crossed his mind
that it might be almost as useful as popularity, to become the
husband of one possessed of so much money.
“I’ll not deny her good looks, ‘Squire,” returned Stephen
Hoof or Stephen Huff, as he called himself “but it’s her bad
looks that isn’t so much to my fancy. Vhy, sir, once the doctor
had a horse that was agreeable enough to the eye, having a
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
good colour and most of the p’ints, but who wasn’t no traveller, not a bit on’t. One that know’d the animal could see where
the fault lay, the fetlock j’int being oncommon longish; and
that’s what I call good looks and bad looks.”
“You mean, Stephen,” said Dunscomb, who had regained
all his sang froid, “that Mary Monson has a bad – looking
ankle, I suppose, wherein I think you miserably mistaken. No
matter; she will not have to travel under your lash very far.
But, how is it with the reporters? Do you see any more of your
friend that asks so many questions?”
“They be an axing set, ‘Squire, if anybody can be so called,”
returned Stephen, grinning. “Would you think it, sir? one day
when I was a comin’ in from Timbully empty, one on ‘em axed
me for a ride! a chap as hadn’t his foot in a reg’lar private coach
since he was born, a wantin’ to drive about in a wehicle as well
known as Doctor McBrain’s best carriage! Them’s the sort of
chaps that spreads all the reports that’s going up and down the
land, they tell me.”
“They do their share of it, Stephen; though there are enough
to help them who do not openly belong to their corps. Well;
what does your acquaintance want to know now?”
“Oncommon curious, ‘Squire, about the bones. He axed
me more than forty questions; what we thought of them; and
about their being male or female bones; and how we know’d;
and a great many more sich matters. I answered him accordin’
to my abilities; and so he made an article on the subject, and
has sent me the papers.”
“An article! Concerning Mary Monson, and on your information?”
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THE WAYS OF THE HOUR
“Sartain, sir; and the bones. Vhy they cut articles out of
much narrower cloth, I can tell you, ‘Squire. There’s the cooks,
and chambermaids, and vaiters about town, none of vich can
hold up their heads with a reg’lar, long – established physician’s coachman, who goes far ahead of even an omnibus driver
in public estimation, as you must know, ‘Squire but such sort
of folks furnish many an article for the papers now – a – days
yes, and articles that ladies and gentlemen read.”
“That is certainly a singular source of useful knowledge
one must hope they are well – grounded, or they will soon
cease to be ladies and gentlemen at all. Have you the paper
about you, Stephen?”
Hoof handed the lawyer a journal folded with a paragraph
in view that was so much thumbed and dirtied, it was not very
easy to read it. “We understand that the trial of Mary Monson,
for the murder of Peter and Dorothy Goodwin,” said the `article,’ “will come off in the adjoining county of Dukes, at a very
early day. Strong attempts have been made to make it appear
that the skeletons found in the ruins of Goodwin’s dwelling,
which our readers will remember was burned at the time of the
murders, are not human bones; but, we have been at great pains
to investigate this very material point, and have no hesitation
in giving it as our profound conviction that it will be made to
appear that these melancholy memorials are all that remain of
the excellent couple who were so suddenly taken out of existence. We do not speak lightly on this subject, having gone to
the fountain – head for our facts, as well as for our science.”
“Hoof on McBrain!” muttered Dunscomb, arching his
brows “this is much of a piece with quite one – half of the
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
knowledge that is poured into the popular mind, now – a –
days. Thank you, Stephen; I will keep this paper, which may be
of use at the trial.”
“I thought our opinions was vorth something more than
nothing, sir,” answered the gratified coachman “a body doesn’t
ride at all hours, day and night, year arter year, and come out
where he started. I vishes you to keep that ‘ere paper, ‘Squire, a
little carefully, for it may be wanted in the college where they
reads all sorts of things, one of these days.”
“It shall be cared for, my friend I hear some one at the
street – door bell. It is late for a call; and I fear Peter has gone
to bed. See who is there, and good night.”
Stephen withdrew, the ringing being repeated a little impatiently, and was soon at the street – door. The fellow admitted the visiters, and went ruminating homeward, Dunscomb
maintaining a very respectable reputation, in a bachelor point
of view, for morals. As for the lawyer himself, he was in the
act of reading a second time the precious opinion expressed
in the journals, when the door of his library opened, a little
hesitatingly it must be confessed, and two females stood on its
threshold. Although his entirely unexpected visiters were so
much muffled in shawls and veils it was not possible to distinguish even the outlines of their persons, Dunscomb fancied
each was youthful and handsome, the instant he cast his eyes
on them. The result showed how well he guessed.
Throwing aside the garments that concealed their forms
and faces, Mary Monson and Anna Updyke advanced into the
room. The first was perfectly self – possessed and brilliantly
handsome; while her companion, flushed with excitement and
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THE WAYS OF THE HOUR
exercise, was not much behind her in this important particular. Dunscomb started, and fancied there was felony, even in
his hospitality.
“You know how difficult it is for me to travel by daylight,”
commenced Mary Monson, in the most natural manner in the
world; “that, and the distance we had to drive, must explain
the unseasonableness of this visit. You told me once, yourself,
that you are both a late and an early man, which encouraged
me to venture. Mr. Timms has written me a letter which I have
thought it might be well to show you. There it is; and when
you have cast an eye over it, we will speak of its contents.”
“Why, this is very much like a conditional proposal of marriage!” cried Dunscomb, dropping the hand that held the letter, as soon as he had read the first paragraph. “Conditional, so
far as the result of your trial is concerned!”
“I forgot the opening of the epistle, giving very little
thought to its purport; though Mr. Timms has not written me
a line lately that has not touched on this interesting subject.
A marriage between him and me is so entirely out of the way
of all the possibilities, that I look upon his advances as mere
embellishment. I have answered him directly in the negative
once, and that ought to satisfy any prudent person. They tell
me no woman should marry a man she has once refused; and I
shall plead this as a reason for continued obduracy.”
This was said pleasantly, and without the least appearance
of resentment; but in a way to show she regarded her attorney’s proposal as very much out of the beaten track. As for
Dunscomb, he passed his hand over his brows, and read the
rest of a pretty long letter with grave attention. The purely
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
business part of this communication was much to the point;
important, clearly put, and every way creditable to the writer. The lawyer read it attentively a second time, ere he once
opened his mouth in comments.
“And why is this shown to me?” he asked, a little vexed, as
was seen in his manner. “I have told you it is felony to assist a
prisoner in an attempt to escape.”
“I have shown it to you, because I have not the remotest
intention, Mr. Dunscomb, to attempt anything of the sort. I
shall not quit my asylum so easily.”
“Then why are you here, at this hour, with the certainty
that most of the night must be passed on the road, if you mean
to return to your prison ere the sun reappears?”
“For air, exercise, and to show you this letter. I am often
in town, but am compelled, for more reasons than you are acquainted with, to travel by night.”
“May I ask where you obtain a vehicle to make these journies in?”
“I use my own carriage, and trust to a very long – tried and
most faithful domestic. I think Miss Updyke will say he drove
us not only carefully, but with great speed. On that score, we
have no grounds of complaint. But I am very much fatigued,
and must ask permission to sleep for an hour. You have a
drawing – room, I take it for granted, Mr. Dunscomb?”
“My niece fancies she has two. Shall I put lights in one of
them?”
“By no means. Anna knows the house as well as she does
her mother’s, and will do the honours. On no account let Miss
Wilmeter be disturbed. I am a little afraid of meeting her, since
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THE WAYS OF THE HOUR
we have practised a piece of treachery touching Marie Moulin.
But, no matter; one hour on a sofa, in a dark room, is all I ask.
That will bring us to midnight, when the carriage will again
be at the door. You wish to see your mother, my dear, and here
is a safe and very suitable attendant to accompany you to her
house and back again.”
All this was said pleasantly, but with a singular air of authority, as if this mysterious being were accustomed to plan
out and direct the movements of others. She had her way. In
a minute or two she was stretched on a sofa, covered with a
shawl, the door was closed on her, and Dunscomb was on his
way to Mrs. McBrain’s residence, which was at some distance
from his own, with Anna leaning on his arm.
“Of course, my dear,” said the lawyer, as he and his beautiful companion left his own door at that late hour of the night,
“we shall see no more of Mary Monson?”
“Not see her again! I should be very, very sorry to think
that, sir!”
“She is no simpleton, and means to take Timms’s advice.
That fellow has written a strong letter, in no expectation of
its being seen, I fancy, in which he points out a new source of
danger; and plainly advises his client to abscond. I can see the
infatuation of love in this; for the letter, if produced, would
bring him into great trouble.”
“And you suppose, sir, that Mary Monson intends to follow
this advice?”
“Beyond a question. She is not only a very clever, but she is
a very cunning woman. This last quality is one that I admire in
her the least. I should be half in love with her myself” This was
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
exactly the state of the counsellor’s feelings towards his client,
in spite of his bravado and affected discernment; a woman’s
charms often overshadowing a philosophy that is deeper even
than his “but for this very trait, which I find little to my taste.
I take it for granted you are sent home to be put under your
mother’s care, where you properly belong; and I am got out of
the way to save me from the pains and penalties of an indictment for felony.”
“I think you do not understand Mary Monson, uncle Tom”
so Anna had long called her friend’s relative, as it might be in
anticipation of the time when the appellation would be correct “She is not the sort of person to do as you suggest; but
would rather make it a point of honour to remain, and face
any accusation whatever.”
“She must have nerves of steel to confront justice in a case
like her’s, and in the present state of public feeling in Duke’s.
Justice is a very pretty thing to talk about, my dear; but we old
practitioners know that it is little more, in human hands, than
the manipulations of human passions. Of late years, the outsiders outside barbarians they might very properly be termed
have almost as much to do with the result of any warmly –
contested suit, as the law and evidence. `Who is on the jury?’ is
the first question asked now – a – days; not what are the facts.
I have told all this, very plainly, to Mary Monson”
“To induce her to fly?” asked Anna, prettily, and a little
smartly.
“Not so much that, as to induce her to consent to an application for delay. The judges of this country are so much
over – worked, so little paid, and usually are so necessitous,
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THE WAYS OF THE HOUR
that almost any application for delay is granted. Business at
chambers is sadly neglected; for that is done in a corner, and
does not address itself to the public eye, or seek public eulogiums; but he is thought the cleverest fellow who will soonest sweep out a crowded calender. Causes are tried by tallow
candles until midnight, with half the jurors asleep; and hard –
working men, accustomed to be asleep by eight each night, are
expected to keep their thoughts and minds active in the face
of all these obstacles.”
“Do you tell me this, uncle Tom, in the expectation that I
am to understand it?”
“I beg your pardon, child; but my heart is full of the failing
justice of the land. We shout hosannas in praise of the institutions, while we shut our eyes to the gravest consequences that
are fast undermining us in the most important of all our interests. But here we are already; I had no notion we had walked
so fast. Yes, there is papa McBrain’s one – horse vehicle, well
emptied of its contents, I hope, by a hard day’s work.”
“A doctor’s life must be so laborious!” exclaimed the pretty
Anna. “I think nothing could tempt me to marry a physician.”
“It is well a certain lady of our acquaintance was not of
your way of thinking,” returned Dunscomb, laughing; for his
good humour always returned when he could give his friend
a rub on his matrimonial propensities, “else would McBrain
have been troubled to get his last and best. Never mind, my
dear; he is a good – natured fellow, and will make a very kind
papa.”
Anna made no reply, but rang the bell a little pettishly;
for no child likes to have a mother married a second time,
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
there being much greater toleration for fathers, and asked her
companion in. As the wife of a physician in full practice, the
bride had already changed many of her long – cherished habits. In this respect, however, she did no more than follow the
fortunes of woman, who so cheerfully makes any sacrifice in
behalf of him she loves. If men were only one – half as disinterested, as self – denying, and as true as the other sex, in all
that relates to the affections, what a blessed state would that
of matrimony be! Still, there are erring, and selfish, and domineering, and capricious, vain, heartless and self – willed females, whom nature never intended for married life; and who
are guilty of a species of profanation, when they stand up and
vow to love, honour and obey their husbands. Many of these
disregard their solemn pledges, made at the altar, and under
the immediate invocation of the Deity, as they would disregard a promise made in jest, and think no more of the duties
and offices that are so peculiarly the province of their sex, than
of the passing and idle promises of vanity. But, if such women
exist, and that they do our daily experience proves, they are as
exceptions to the great law of female faith, which is tenderness
and truth. They are not women in character, whatever they
may be in appearance; but creatures in the guise of a sex that
they discredit and caricature.
Mrs. McBrain was not a person of the disposition just described. She was gentle and good, and bid fair to make the evening of her second husband’s days very happy. Sooth to say, she
was a good deal in love, notwithstanding her time of life, and
the still more mature years of the bridegroom; and had been
so much occupied with the duties and cares that belonged to
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