derstood, had
satisfied themselves it might better answer their purposes to construct
the entire work, than to stop anywhere between the two extremes, my duty
was luckily, on this occasion, in exact accordance with my opinions;
and, as a matter of course, I voted, this time, in a way of which I
could approve. Noah, finding himself a free agent, now made his push for
character, and took sides with us. Very fortunately we prevailed, all
the beaten interests joining themselves, at the last moment, to the
weakest side, or, in other words, to that which was right; and Leaplow
presented the singular spectacle of having a just enactment passed
during the occultation of the great moral postulate, so often named. I
ought to mention that I have termed principle a postulate, throughout
this narrative, simply because it is usually in the dilemma of a
disputed proposition.

No sooner was the result known, than my worthy colleague came round
to the Horizontal side of the house, to express his satisfaction with
himself for the course he had just taken. He said it was certainly very
convenient and very labor-saving to obey a God-like, and that he got on
much better with his charts now he was at liberty to give his whole mind
to the subject; but there was suthin'--he didn't know what--but "a sort
of Stunin'tun feeling" in doing what one thought right, after all, that
caused him to be glad that he had voted for the whole causeway. He did
not own any land in Leaplow, and therefore he concluded that what he had
done, he had done for the best; at any rate, if he had got nothin' by
it, he had lost nothin' by it, and he hoped all would come right in the
end. The people of the island, it is true, had talked pretty fair about
what they would do for those who should sustain their interests, but he
had got sick of a currency in promises; and fair words, at his time
of life, didn't go for much; and so, on the whole, he had pretty much
concluded to do as he had done. He thought no one could call in question
his vote, for he was just as poor and as badly off now he had voted, as
he was while he was making up his mind. For his part, he shouldn't be
ashamed, hereafter, to look both Deacon Snort and the Parson in the
face, when he got home, or even Miss Poke. He knew what it was to have a
clean conscience, as well as any man; for none so well knew what it was
to be without anything, as they who had felt by experience its want. His
God-like was a very l