76
WYLDER'S HAJVD.
While these young ladies are discussing Stanley Lake.
I may be permitted to mention my own estimate of that
agreeable young person.
Captain Lake was a gentleman and an officer, and of
course an honorable man; but somehow I should not hive
liked to buy a horse from him. He was gentlemanlike in
appearance, and even elegant; but I never liked him,
although he undoubtedly had a superficial fascinat'on. I
think he was destitute of those fine moral instincts which
are born with men, but never acquired; and in his way
of estimating his fellow-men, and the canons of honor,
there was occasionally perceptible a faint flavor of the
villanous, and an undefined savor, at times, of brimstone.
I know, also that when his temper, which was nothing very
remarkable, was excited, he could be savage and brutal
enough; and I believe he had often been violent and cow-
ardly in his altercations with his sister — so, at least, two
or three people, who were versed in the scandals of the
family affirmed. His morality, however, I suppose, was
good enough for the world, and he had never committed
himself in any of those ways of which that respectable
tribunal takes cognisance.
"So that d—d fellow Lake is down here still; and
that stupid, scheming lubber, Larkin, driving him about
in his tax-cart, instead of minding his business. I could
not see him to-day. That sort of thing won't answer me;
and he is staying at Larkin's house, I find." Wylder
was talking to me on the door steps after dinner, having
in a rather sulky way swallowed more than his usual mod-
icum of Madeira, and his remarks were delivered interrupt-
edly — two or three puffs of his cigar interposed between
each sentence.
"I suppose he expects to be asked to the wedding.
He may expect — ha, ha, ha! You don't know that lad
as I do."