race of manner which none understand so well as the
nobility of France. That gait, now! A vulgar spectator might deem it
stiff--he might call it a hitch and jerk--but, to my eye, it hath an
unspeakable majesty and must have been acquired by constant observation
of the deportment of the Grand Monarque. The stranger's character and
office are evident enough. He is a French ambassador come to treat with
our rulers about the cession of Canada."

"More probably a Spaniard," said another, "and hence his yellow
complexion. Or most likely he is from the Havana or from some port on
the Spanish main and comes to make investigation about the piracies
which our governor is thought to connive at. Those settlers in Peru and
Mexico have skins as yellow as the gold which they dig out of their
mines."

"Yellow or not," cried a lady, "he is a beautiful man! So tall, so
slender! Such a fine, noble face, with so well shaped a nose and all
that delicacy of expression about the mouth! And, bless me! how bright
his star is! It positively shoots out flames."

"So do your eyes, fair lady," said the stranger, with a bow and a
flourish of his pipe, for he was just passing at the instant. "Upon my
honor, they have quite dazzled me!"

"Was ever so original and exquisite a compliment?" murmured the lady,
in an ecstasy of delight.

Amid the general admiration excited by the stranger's appearance there
were only two dissenting voices. One was that of an impertinent cur
which, after sniffing at the heels of the glistening figure, put its
tail between its legs and skulked into its master's backyard,
vociferating an execrable howl. The other dissentient was a young child
who squalled at the fullest stretch of his lungs and babbled some
unintelligible nonsense about a pumpkin.

Feathertop, meanwhile, pursued his way along the street. Except for the
few complimentary words to the lady, and now and then a slight
inclination of the head in requital of the profound reverences of the
bystanders, he seemed wholly absorbed in his pipe. There needed no
other proof of his rank and consequence than the perfect equanimity
with which he comported himself, while the curiosity and admiration of
the town swelled almost into a clamor around him. With a crowd
gathering behind his footsteps, he finally reached the mansion-house of
the worshipful Justice Gookin, entered the gate, ascended the steps of
the front door and knocked. In the interim before his summons was