Melville Davisson Post

“ And it is Gosford who sends a negro riding, as if the devil were on the crupper, to summon me in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to appear and examine into the circumstances of this burglary.
“I mistrust the man. He used to hang about Marshall in his life, upon some enterprise of secrecy; and now he takes possession and leadership in his affairs, and sets the man's son aside. In what right, Abner, does this adventurous Englishman feel himself secure?”
My uncle did not reply to Randolph's discourse. His comment was in another quarter.
“Here is young Marshall and Gaeki,” he said. ”

“ But I think, rather, the negroes imagined the Devil to fear what they feared themselves.
“Now, what could bring Gaeki here?” said Randolph.
“It was the horse that Gosford overheated in his race to you,” replied my uncle. “I saw him stop in the road where the negro boy was leading the horse about, and then call young Marshall.”
“It was no fault of young Marshall, Abner,” said the Justice. “But, also, he is no match for Gosford. He is a dilettante. He paints little pictures after the fashion he learned in Paris, and he has no force or vigor in him. ”

“ You can see, sir, that the drawer has been rifled.”
My uncle looked casually at the row of mahogany drawers rising along the end of the bookcase. The second one and the one above were open; the others below were closed.
“Mr. Gosford,” he said, “you would have some interest in this will, to know about it so precisely.”
“And so I have,” replied the man; “it left me a sum of money.”
“A large sum?”
“A very large sum, sir.”
“Mr. Anthony Gosford,” said Abner, “for what purpose did Peyton Marshall bequeath you a large sum of money? You are no kin; nor was he in your debt.” ”

“ He got up and went out, and presently returned followed by the lad and Gaeki. The old country doctor sat down by the door, his leather case of bottles by the chair, his cloak with its brass wolf-head clasp still fastened under his chin. Gosford went from back to the table and sat down with his writing materials to keep notes. The boy stood.
My uncle looked a long time at the lad. His face was grave, eyes on the violated mahogany but when he spoke, voice was gentle.
“My boy,” he said, “every man has the right to fight the Devil, but not with the Devil's weapons.” ”

“ And unlike any other man of his profession, he would work as long and as carefully on the body of a horse as he would on the body of a man, snapping out his quaint oaths, and in a stress of effort, as though he struggled with some invisible creature for its prey. The negroes used to say that the Devil was afraid of Gaeki, and he might have been, if to disable a man or his horse were the Devil's will. ”

“ He paused and lifted his chin above his big stock.
“There is one reason,” he went on, “if no other, why an honorable man must not use the Devil's implements, and this is because he handles them so badly. One must have skill in the use of a thing before he can work with it to success. Those who accept the Devil for a master and labor at his work have skill in the handling of his implements. ”

“ My father thought that the States in this republic could not hold together very much longer. He believed that the country would divide, and the South set up a separate government. He hoped this might come about without a war. ”

“ MR. GOSFORD, sitting at his ease, in victory, regarded my uncle with a supercilious, ironical smile.
“Sir,” he said, “are you, by chance, a fortune-teller?”
“A misfortune-teller,” replied my uncle, his face still held above the crystal. “I see here a misfortune to Mr. Anthony Gosford. I predict, from what I see, that he will release this bequest of moneys to Mr. Peyton Marshall's son.”
“Your prediction, sir,” said Gosford, in a harder note, “is not likely to come true.”
“Why, yes,” replied my uncle, “it is certain to come true. I see it very clearly. Mr. ”