agnificent hermit. If ever a philanthropist hid his light
under a bushel, thou art the man. If ever brilliant talents rusted in
a napkin, yours do. Your noble wife is cut off from the splendid
career appropriate to her, and is compelled to devote her days to
rural walks and the direction of a few negro slaves. Not to dwell on
the sacrifice of mother and sons, your own learning, fortune, and
extraordinary mental powers--your genius for dealing with men--are
here employed, not in the service of mankind, but in--" Burr was
tempted to say "fiddling," but he substituted the words--"gazing at
the stars through a telescope. Pardon me for speaking strongly. It is
only a few hours since we first met, but I am drawn to you. I admire
and esteem you, and my motive in this perhaps impertinent appeal, is
the wish to serve you."

Blennerhassett felt much gratified by the insidious censure. His
portrait, amiably regarding its original from the wall, listened
approvingly to Burr, and smiled acquiescence. "Does the mild-eyed
thing recollect me?" mused Burr. The picture betrayed no sign of
recognition and the original spoke.

"Such candor is rare, and I appreciate it. I am honored by the
outspoken confidence of the man I know you to be, not only from what I
have read of your political course, which I wholly approve, but from
Mrs. Blennerhassett's reports of your conversation. Her judgment is
unerring. I defer to it. You will confer a great favor on me by
explaining, in detail, your Southern plans."

Thus solicited, Burr adroitly availed himself of the opportunity to
divulge, not only his project of settling the Bastrop lands, but such
part of his other plans as he deemed it prudent to reveal at the time.
He learned to his satisfaction that Blennerhassett had no repugnance
to the idea of separating the Western States from the Eastern and of
invading Mexico. Burr's angling had gone on for an hour, with lures so
tempting that the gudgeon seemed about to swallow bait, hook and all,
when the conversation was disturbed by an unusual clamor of excited
voices coming from the negro quarters. Blennerhassett, in a flurry,
excused himself, and hastened to inquire what was the matter. He found
his servants, black and white, huddled together around Scipio, who had
just told the grinning crowd that Honest Moses was missing from the
plantation, having been enticed by an Ohio farmer to cross the river
and run away to the free North.

This was Scipio'