your name at heart, and send the
tawny Jezebel away."

The squatter laid his broad hand on her shoulder, and looking her
steadily in the eye, he answered, in tones that were both stern and
solemn--

"Woman, we have that before us which calls our thoughts to other matters
than the follies you mean. Remember what is to come, and put your silly
jealousy to sleep."

"It is true, it is true," murmured his wife, moving back among her
daughters; "God forgive me, that I should forget it!"

"And now, young man; you, who have so often come into my clearing, under
the pretence of lining the bee into his hole," resumed Ishmael, after a
momentary pause, as if to recover the equilibrium of his mind, "with you
there is a heavier account to settle. Not satisfied with rummaging
my camp, you have stolen a girl who is akin to my wife, and who I had
calculated to make one day a daughter of my own."

A stronger sensation was produced by this, than by any of the preceding
interrogations. All the young men bent their curious eyes on Paul and
Ellen, the former of whom seemed in no small mental confusion, while the
latter bent her face on her bosom in shame.

"Harkee, friend Ishmael Bush," returned the bee-hunter, who found that
he was expected to answer to the charge of burglary, as well as to that
of abduction; "that I did not give the most civil treatment to your pots
and pails, I am not going to gainsay. If you will name the price you
put upon the articles, it is possible the damage may be quietly settled
between us, and all hard feelings forgotten. I was not in a church-going
humour when we got upon your rock, and it is more than probable there
was quite as much kicking as preaching among your wares; but a hole in
the best man's coat can be mended by money. As to the matter of Ellen
Wade, here, it may not be got over so easily. Different people have
different opinions on the subject of matrimony. Some think it is enough
to say yes and no, to the questions of the magistrate, or of the parson,
if one happens to be handy, in order to make a quiet house; but I think
that where a young woman's mind is fairly bent on going in a certain
direction, it will be quite as prudent to let her body follow. Not
that I mean to say Ellen was not altogether forced to what she did, and
therefore she is just as innocent, in this matter, as yonder jackass,
who was made to carry her, and greatly against his will, too, as I am
ready to swear he would say