there may
happen to be in a township? I call that a great privilege; and such as
no man should have in a free country. Other people want land as well as
your Van Renssalaers and Littlepages; and other people mean to have it,
too."

"On that principle, every man who owns more of any one thing than his
neighbour is privileged. Even I, poor as I am, and am believed to be, am
privileged over you, Mr. Newcome. I own a cassock, and have two gowns,
one old and one new, and various other things of the sort, of which you
have not one. What is more, I am privileged in another sense; since I
can _wear_ my cassock and gown, and bands, and _do_ wear them often;
whereas you cannot wear one of them all without making yourself laughed
at."

"Oh! but them are not privileges I care anything about; if I did I would
put on the things, as the law does not prohibit it."

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Newcome; the law does prohibit you from wearing
_my_ cassock and gown contrary to my wishes."

"Wa-all, wa-all, Mr. Warren; we never shall quarrel about that; I don't
desire to wear your cassack and gown."

"I understand you, then; it is only the things that you _desire_ to use
that you deem it a privilege for the law to leave me."

"I am afraid we shall never agree, Mr. Warren, about this anti-rent
business; and I'm very sorry for it, as I wish particularly to think as
you do," glancing his eye most profanely towards Mary as he spoke. "I am
for the movement-principle, while you are too much for the stand-still
doctrine."

"I am certainly for remaining stationary, Mr. Newcome, if progress mean
taking away the property of old and long established families in the
country, to give it to those whose names are not to be found in our
history; or, indeed, to give it to any but those to whom it rightfully
belongs."

"We shall never agree, my dear sir, we shall never agree;" then, turning
towards my uncle with the air of superiority that the vulgar so easily
assume--"What do _you_ say to all this, friend Dafidson--are you up-rent
or down-rent?"

"Ja, mynheer," was the quiet answer; "I always downs mit der rent vens
I leave a house or a garten. It is goot to pay de debts; ja, it ist
herr goot."

This answer caused the clergyman and his daughter to smile, while
Opportunity laughed outright.

"You won't make much of your Dutch friend, Sen," cried this buoyant
young lady; "he says you ought to keep on paying rent!"

"I apprehend Mr. Dafidson does