What says the Book?--"Judge
not, that ye be not judged." Your dear father acted upon that maxim--so
noble and so awful--and I strive to do so. Alas! dear Austin, _longo
intervalle_, far behind! and you are removed--my example and my help; you
are gone to your rest, and I remain beneath my burden, still marching on by
bleak and alpine paths, under the awful night.
O nuit, nuit douloureuse! O toi, tardive aurore!
Viens-tu? vas-tu venir? es-tu bien loin encore?
And repeating these lines of Chenier, with upturned eyes, and one hand
lifted, and an indescribable expression of grief and fatigue, he sank
stiffly into his chair, and remained mute, with eyes closed for some time.
Then applying his scented handkerchief to them hastily, and looking very
kindly at me, he said--
'Anything more, dear child?'
'Nothing, uncle, thank you, very much, only about that man, Hawkes; I dare
say that he does not mean to be so uncivil as he is, but I am really afraid
of him, and he makes our walks in that direction quite unpleasant.'
'I understand quite, my dear. I will see to it; and you must remember that
nothing is to be allowed to vex my beloved niece and ward during her stay
at Bartram--nothing that her old kinsman, Silas Ruthyn, can remedy.
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