Linden--ha--it strikes me that it would be useful for me to know your view of the cause of offence--whatever it is--before I know his. One may correct the other."
"There has been no offence given sir," said Mr. Linden. "That the Squire has taken offence we both know,--why he has taken it--_if_ I know--I have no right to tell you, Squire Deacon might justly complain of me if I did. It is from no disrespect to you, believe me."
"I say!" said Cindy coming into the room with a basket,--"here"s Sam Stoutenburgh been and fetched some Stoutenburgh Sweetenings--for his teacher, he says. I"m free to confess," added Cindy as she set down the basket by Mr. Linden, "he said if he _would_ like to do anythin" better with "em, it would just be to shy "em at Squire Deacon"s head--so I guess they aint over and above ripe."
"Ha!--Very pleasant, certainly!--very gratifying," said Mr. Somers rising. "Mr. Linden--I have no more to say. You are a gentleman, sir, and understand these matters. I will see what I can do. Mrs. Derrick--I thank you for your tea, ma"am--I am sorry there should be anything disagreeable,--but I have no doubt it will all be set right--The Squire is a good-feeling man--I have no doubt of it. Miss Faith--ha!--why Mrs.
Derrick this colour is too deep, it isn"t natural. It looks feverish!"
"Do the Pattaqua.s.set ladies use any rouge but their own sea breezes?"
asked Mr. Linden.
"Ha! we _do_ get the sea breezes here--pleasantly," answered Mr.
Somers. "Good evening!"--
Mr. Linden accompanied the visiter to the little gate, and returning paced up and down the moonlit porch, followed only by his shadow.
CHAPTER VI.
While Mr. Somers was enjoying his cup of unexpected tea at Mrs.
Derrick"s, Squire Deacon and Miss Cilly had a sociable tete-a-tete over theirs; for Joe Deacon, who was in the full enjoyment of some fourteen years of boyhood, scarcely made a third in the conversation until his appet.i.te was satisfied.
Conversation indeed hardly existed during the first portion of the meal. Miss Cilly poured out her tea and broke her biscuit with a certain prim sort of elegance which belonged to that young lady--as at least she believed. But sipping tea and nibbling biscuit went on in company with thoughts.
"Sam, what are you bothering yourself about Mr. Linden for?"
"How long since you was made a trustee?" said the Squire, beginning his sentence with an untranslatable sort of grunt, and ending it in his teacup.
"Give us the sugar bowl down this way, Cilly," said Joe,--"this apple sarce is as sour as sixty."
"I"ve been your trustee ever since you was up to anything," said his sister. "Come Sam--don"t you begin now. What"s made you so crusty?"
"It aint the worst thing to be crusty," said the Squire, while Joe started up and seized the sugar bowl. "Shews a man"s more"n half baked, any how."
Miss Cilly vouchsafed a rather sour smile to these manifestations of disposition on the part of both her brothers.
"Well, what has he done?"
"Sure enough," said the Squire, (he kept his small stock of big words for company) "what _has_ he done? That"s just what I can"t find out."
"What do you want to find out for? What ails him?"
"Suppose he hasn"t done nothing"--said the Squire,--"is that the sort o" man to teach litteratur in Pattaqua.s.set?"
"Lit--_what?_" said his sister with an arch of her head.
"Anything you"ve a mind to," said the Squire sulkily.
"I wouldn"t say anything against Mr. Linden"s literature, if I was you; because it"s my belief, Sam, it"ll stand any pecking you make at it.
What"s given you such a spite at him? You"re a goodnatured fellow enough in general."
"The whole temperature of Pattaqua.s.set"s come about since _he_ come,"
replied the Squire comprehensively.
"He"s a gentleman!" said Miss Cilly bridling again. "He won"t hurt anybody"s manners--not the best--if they was to copy him."
"He didn"t hurt mine," said Joe patronizingly. "To be sure I didn"t go to him long."
"Do the boys like him, Joe?"
"Well I daresay they wouldn"t if they could help it," said Joe, "if _that"s_ any comfort. Some other folks likes him too,--besides Sam."
"Aint he a good teacher?"
"Firstrate--" said Joe, "taught me all _I_ ever learned. I didn"t go but four weeks, and Sam thought "twarn"t no use for me to hold on any longer. My! Cilly--he"d make you roll up your eyes in arithmetic!"
"Now Sam Deacon, what do you expect to do by all this fuss you"re making?" said his sister judicially.
"What"s the use of cross-examining a man at that rate?" said the Squire restlessly. "When I do anything, you"ll know it."
"You"ll make yourself a fool, one of these fine mornings; that"s what I count upon," said Miss Cecilia. "He"s a match for you, I have a presentiment, Sam."
"He won"t be for you," said the Squire with some heat.
"There"s Mr. Simlins goin" along," said Joe, who having finished his supper was gazing out of the window. "O my! if he was cut up into real simlinses, what a many there"d be!"
"You hush, Joe!" said his sister wrathfully. "He"s comin" in."
And Mr. Simlins" tall figure did indeed come through the gate and up the walk, from which a very few more steps and minutes brought him to the tea table.
"Well, Mr. Simlins!" said Miss Cecilia as she gave him his cup,--"you"ve got back. I heard you were returned."
"Yes!" said the farmer deliberately stirring his tea,--"I"ve got back!
And I"m glad, for one. I"ve been visiting my relations in New Jersey; and I"ve made up _my_ mind that the Simlinses made a good move when they come to Connecticut."
"You found them all well?" said Miss Cecilia politely.
"Well, no, I didn"t," said Mr. Simlins. "How"s a man to find five hundred and fifty people all well? "Taint nature. How"s things with you, Squire?"
"Wheat"s done well--corn middlin"," replied the Squire, while Joe got behind his sister"s chair and whispered,
"There"s another name in the diction"ry _sounds_ like your"n, though they aint spelled just alike."
"Goin" to school, Joe?" growled Mr. Simlins.
"No _sir_," said Joe. "Mr. Linden teached me all he knowed in a jiffy,--and all I know, too."