e and distance, we put to sea without any
misgivings. The horse was no flyer, and Marble and I had plenty of leisure
to arrange preliminaries before reaching the door to which we were bound.
After some consultation, and a good of discussion, I succeeded in
persuading my companion it would not be wisest to break ground by flogging
the attorney--a procedure to which he was strongly inclined. It was
settled, however, he was at once to declare himself to be Mrs. Wetmore's
son, and to demand his explanations in that character; one that would
clearly give him every claim to be heard.

"I know what these usurers, as you call 'em, Miles, must be," said the
mate. "They are a sort of in-shore pawn-brokers; and the Lord have mercy
on them, for I'll have none. I've had occasion to pawn a watch, or a
quadrant, in my time; and bloody poor prices does a fellow get for his
goods and chattels. Yes, yes; I'll let the old gentleman know, at once,
I'm Van Duzer Oloff Marble Wetmore Moses, or whatever's my name; and will
stand up for the right in a fashion that will surprise him: but what are
you to do in the mean time?"

It struck me, if I could get Marble to attempt practising a sort of
_ruse_, it would have the effect to prevent his resorting to club-law,
towards which I knew he had a strong natural disposition, and of which I
was still a little afraid. With this object, then, I conceived the
following scheme.

"You shall simply introduce me as Mr. Miles Wallingford," I said, "but in
a formal manner, that may induce this Mr. Van Tassel to-imagine I'm a sort
of lawyer; and this may have the effect to awe him, and bring him to terms
the easier. Do not _say_ I am a lawyer, for that will not be true, and it
will also be awkward falling back when the truth comes to be known."

Marble took the idea, and seemed pleased with it, though he affirmed that
there could be no such thing as acting lawyer without lying a little, and
that "the truth was too good for one of your bloody usurers." I got him
trained, however, by the time we reached the door; and we alighted as well
prepared for our task as could be expected.

There was nothing about the residence of 'Squire Van Tassel to denote the
grasping money-dealer, unless a certain negligence of the exterior might
be supposed to betray the abode of such a man. His friends wished to
ascribe this to an indifference to appearances; but the multitude, more
accurately imputed it to parsimony. When the v