the uppermost feeling
on the sickness of those dear to us. Others, I could not but remark,
were scarce able to support his neighbourhood--Sir William eviting to be
near him, Mountain dodging his eye, and, when he met it, blenching and
halting in his story. At this appeal, however, my lord appeared to
recover his command upon himself.

"To Albany?" said he, with a good voice.

"Not short of it, at least," replied Sir William. "There is no safety
nearer hand."

"I would be very sweir[11] to return," says my lord. "I am not
afraid--of Indians," he added, with a jerk.

"I wish that I could say so much," returned Sir William, smiling;
"although, if any man durst say it, it should be myself. But you are to
keep in view my responsibility, and that as the voyage has now become
highly dangerous, and your business--if you ever had any," says
he,--"brought quite to a conclusion by the distressing family
intelligence you have received, I should be hardly justified if I even
suffered you to proceed, and run the risk of some obloquy if anything
regrettable should follow."

My lord turned to Mountain. "What did he pretend he died of?" he asked.

"I don't think I understand your honour," said the trader, pausing, like
a man very much affected, in the dressing of some cruel frost-bites.

For a moment my lord seemed at a full stop; and then, with some
irritation, "I ask you what he died of. Surely that's a plain question,"
said he.

"O! I don't know," said Mountain. "Hastie even never knew. He seemed to
sicken natural, and just pass away."

"There it is, you see!" concluded my lord, turning to Sir William.

"Your lordship is too deep for me," replied Sir William.

"Why," says my lord, "this is a matter of succession; my son's title may
be called in doubt; and the man being supposed to be dead of nobody can
tell what, a great deal of suspicion would be naturally roused."

"But, God damn me, the man's buried!" cried Sir William.

"I will never believe that," returned my lord, painfully trembling.
"I'll never believe it!" he cried again, and jumped to his feet. "Did
he _look_ dead?" he asked of Mountain.

"Look dead?" repeated the trader. "He looked white. Why, what would he
be at? I tell you, I put the sods upon him."

My lord caught Sir William by the coat with a hooked hand. "This man has
the name of my brother," says he, "but it's well understood that he was
never canny."

"Canny?" says Sir William. "What is that?"