"'Tis rare and commendable. Though I doubt not in the exact
order of causes and effects."
With this sudden outbreaking, however, the commotion instantly
subsided; the three spectators clustering around the trapper with a
species of awe, at beholding the tears of one so aged.
"It must be so, or how could he be so familiar with a history that is
little known beyond my own family," at length the youth observed, not
ashamed to acknowledge how much he had been affected, by unequivocally
drying his own eyes.
"True!" echoed Paul; "if you want any more evidence I will swear to
it! I know every word of it myself to be true as the gospel!"
"And yet we had long supposed him dead!" continued the soldier. "My
grandfather had filled his days with honour, and he had believed
himself the junior of the two."
"It is not often that youth has an opportunity of thus looking down on
the weakness of age!" the trapper observed, raising his head, and
looking around him with composure and dignity. "That I am still here,
young man, is the pleasure of the Lord, who has spared me until I have
seen fourscore long and laborious years, for his own secret ends.
Pages:
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256