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Two hundred and seventy-two pounds twelve and sixpence, last night when I counted it, said Silas, seating himself again with a groan. Pooh! why, theyd be none so heavy to carry. Some tramps been in, thats all; and as for the no footmarks, and the bricks and the sand being all right, why, your eyes are pretty much like a insects, Master Marner; theyre obliged to look so close, you cant see much at a time. Its my opinion as, if Id been you, or youd been mefor it comes to the same thingyou wouldnt have thought youd found everything as you left it. But what I vote is, as two of the sensiblest o the company should go with you to Master Kench, the constableshes ill i bed, I know that muchand get him to appoint one of us his deppity; for thats the law, and I dont think anybody ull take upon him to contradick me there. It isnt much of a walk to Kenchs; and then, if its me as is deppity, Ill go back with you, Master Marner, and examine your premises; and if anybodys got any fault to find with that, Ill thank him to stand up and say it out like a man. By this pregnant speech the farrier had re-established his self-complacency, and waited with confidence to hear himself named as one of the superlatively sensible men. Let us see how the night is, though, said the landlord, who also considered himself personally concerned in this proposition. Why, it rains heavy still, he said, returning from the door. Well, Im not the man to be afraid o the rain, said the farrier. For itll look bad when Justice Malam hears as respectable men like us had a information laid before em and took no steps. The landlord agreed with this view, and after taking the sense of the company, and duly rehearsing a small ceremony known in high ecclesiastical life as the nolo episcopari, he consented to take on himself the chill dignity of going to Kenchs. But to the farriers strong disgust, Mr. Macey now started an objection to his proposing himself as a deputy-constable; for that oracular old gentleman, claiming to know the law, stated as a fact delivered to him by his father that no doctor could be a constable. And youre a doctor, I reckon, though youre only a cow-doctor; for a flys a fly, though it may be a hossfly, concluded Mr. Macey, wondering a little at his own cuteness. There was a hot debate upon this, the farrier being of course indisposed to renounce the quality of doctor, but contending that a doctor could be a constable if he liked; the law meant, he neednt be one if he didnt like. Mr. Macey thought this was nonsense, since the law was not likely to be fonder of doctors than of other folks. Moreover, if it was in the nature of doctors more than of other men not to like being constables, how came Mr. Dowlas to be so eager to act in that capacity? I dont want to act the constable, said the farrier, driven into a corner by this merciless reasoning; and theres no man can say it of me, if hed tell the truth. But if theres to be any jealousy and envying about going to Kenchs in the rain, let them go as like it. You wont get me to go, I can tell you. By the landlords intervention, however, the dispute was accommodated. Mr. Dowlas consented to go as a second person disinclined to act officially; and so poor Silas, furnished with some old coverings, turned out with his two companions into the rain again, thinking of the long night hours before him, not as those do who long to rest, but as those who expect to watch for the morning. |
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