ere I has! A squire in this
part of the world is somebody, I assure ye, sir. Then, what's more,
I've always bin as loyal as a body could be; but, remember ye, I
warn't on the Tory side, and for the very reason that they never
appreciated native talent and native larnin. Them were the days,' said
the Squire, accompanying the words with a sort of political flourish,
what tried the souls of us county-folk. Tory Johnson, and Radical Joe
Howe, used to come this way lectioneerin, and set the whole country by
the ears; what folk neither of 'em winned over to his party they were
sure to get drunk; and poor folks were so fascinated with politics
there was no getting a stroke of work done for a month after. Joe
Howe, see ye I was a perfect Jones on politics--was what them that
know most about politics called a champion of free suffrage; and, what
was more nor all, worked himself up from the use of a printer's stick
to holding a stick of stronger cast over the whole province, not even
excepting our own country. In fact, he kicked Sir Rupert George out of
the Colonial Office only for himself to be kicked in. Well, Joe said
if I'd put in the strong talk, and lectioneer for him and the
radicals, he'd make me Squire when he got in the _place_--and he kept
his word, you see. Joe once see'd me try a case, and he was so taken
with it, there was no describin' his feelins. I take it you'd think
natur had done her part for me in knowin' so much 'bout law, if ye'd
see me put a case through.'

"The Squire had it all his own way, Smooth not having a chance to put
in a word edgewise. 'But, seem' how you cussed Yankees has upset
everything in trade along the coast, I isn't so rich as I used to be.
There wor a time when my little store was as good a gold mine as you
could turn up in Californey; I could get any kind of a price for
goods; and New England rum, what I liquidated with a sprinklin of
Jamaica, sold as quick as gold-dust at fifteen shillins a gallon.'

"Here, by the way of diversifying the conversation, I inquired if he
remembered the Queen, in the way of _duties paid!_

"The Squire opened his spacious mouth, showed his great shark-like
teeth, threw away his worn quid, gave his eyes a significant roll
sideways, laughed out heartily, and with his left fist added a warning
pinch under my left ribs. 'Don't ask that unanswerable question! The
custom-house was so far off that nobody thought it any harm to
smuggle, just a little! Bless ye!