Hugh Peters

“ The other lad jumped to his feet, revealing, to Hugh's surprise, golf knickers. He was tall, slender, and very neatly built.
"Hell!" he exclaimed. "I ought to have guessed that." He held out his hand. "I'm Carl Peters, the guy you've got to room with—and God help you."
Hugh dropped his suit-cases and shook hands. "Guess I can stand it," he said with a quick laugh to hide his embarrassment. "Maybe you'll need a little of God's help yourself." Diffident and unsure, he smiled—and Peters liked him on the spot.
"Chase yourself," Peters said easily. "I know a good guy when I see one. ”

“ Dedication to ‘Operum Gulielmi Amesii volumen primum,’ Amsterdam, 12mo, 1658. 17. ‘A Dying Father's Last Legacy to an only Child, or Mr. Hugh Peter's advice to his daughter, written by his own hand during his late imprisonment,’ 12mo, 1660. 18. ‘The Case of Mr. Hugh Peters impartially communicated to the view and censure of the whole world, written by his own hand,’ 4to, 1660. 19. ‘A Sermon by Hugh Peters preached before his death, as it was taken by a faithful hand, and now published for public information,’ London, printed by John Best, 4to, 1660. ”

“ The famous Hugh Peters, the commonwealth preacher, whom Burnet speaks of as an "enthusiastical buffoon," and a very "vicious man," is thought by a greater loyalist (Burke) to have had "hard measures dealt him at the Restoration." He calls him a "poor good man." Peters was afraid at first he should not behave himself with the proper courage, but rallied his spirits afterwards, and, according to the account published by his friends (and all the accounts, it should be observed, emanate from that side) , no man appears to have behaved better. ”

“ Here Hugh Peters began to extenuate that proceeding, and to allege other parts of scripture in his own defence. “Pray, sir,” replied Hind, “make no reflections against men of my profession, for Solomon plainly said, ‘do not despise a thief.’ But it is to little purpose for us to dispute; the substance of what I have to say is this, deliver thy money presently, or else I shall send thee out of the world to thy master, the devil, in an instant.” These terrible words of the captain’s so terrified the old Presbyterian, that he forthwith gave him thirty broad pieces of gold and then departed. ”

“ Religion in the Camp.
It is useless to pick out the names of chaplains now unknown. Many of them, no doubt, if we were fully acquainted with their history, would be found more respectable and worthy men than were others whom we see thrown conspicuously on the surface, to attain by no means an enviable notoriety. Hugh Peters is chief of this class. He certainly must have been a man of considerable ability to have gained the influence which he possessed; and in earlier life he could have been no worse than a coarse but energetic preacher, followed by crowds of the common people. ”

“ His conception of religious controversy, that all differences could be avoided if ministers could only pray together and live together, is highly characteristic, and shows the largeness of his personal sympathies and at the same time the limits of his intellectual imagination. Peters married (1) Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Cooke of Pebmarsh in Essex and widow of Edmund Read, and (2) Deliverance Sheffield, by whom he had one daughter, Elizabeth. ”

“ When Hugh Peters was carried on a sledge to the scaffold, he was made to sit within the rails, and see the execution of Mr. Cook. When the latter was cut down to be quartered, Colonel Turner ordered the sheriff's men to bring Mr. Peters near, that he might see it; and when soon after the hangman rubbed his blood-stained hands together, he taunt226ingly asked, "Come, how do you like this work, Mr. Peters?" He calmly replied, "Friend, you do not well to trample on a dying man." ”

“ Peters said I was to tell you everything.”
“His head is full of sense. We'll spread all the cards out before Bill. It's him that has the say-so. I'll chip in when it can help, being weak and mortal. But it's for Bill—who never done wrong—to decide.”
Gilbert followed him, believing him to be crazy. But better the company of the mentally unbalanced than to be left alone with his fear that some man from the bay might tap him on the shoulder and tell him he was wanted. ”

“ As old Cap'en Peters fit in the Mexican War, both boys feel as if they had somethin' in common in his grave."
"Oh, we know all about that," sniffed Mr. Huff, displeased that the Pigeon Ridge man should succeed in shifting the conversation, "an' we've all seen Clab marchin' about four hundred feet behind the precession, ridin' a farm-hoss, as if he was defyin' the whole United States governingment. That ain't nothin' new. But now ye've ben sot on discussin' it, I'll say fer one he didn't ought ter be allowed ter wear his old gray uniform on that day. ”

“ Peters. Gilbert, hesitating in the doorway, glanced about the long room; then advanced toward the bar. His gaze was a bit wild and swung uneasily from side to side.
“Acts like somebody was chasing him,” commented the miner as he took the sailor by the shoulder and dragged him from the bar. “I’ve got to get Ben to bed. Good luck.”
“May you always fill your hand if it's stronger'n the other man's,” heartily replied Mr. Peters. ”

“ Peters; and his fleshy cheeks expanded like toy balloons. “Sonny, you've made me believe the world's a lot bigger than I ever thought it was.”
Then he frowned heavily and drummed his fat fingers on the table.
“Wait a minute,” he growled. “Let’s glance over your cards. You're in for a heap of trouble if you don't lay low for a while. It won't do the Coloma men any good if you get hung. Nevada City is no place for you. By this time men are searching the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys for the young fellow who helped Joaquin to escape. They'll be up here, nosing around. ”

“ Peters in his room, completing his street toilet.
“How's our Injun-medicine man?” he heartily greeted, his fresh-shaven face beaming welcome and his thick hand extended in greeting.
“I've got a mighty strong medicine since I see you last,” gravely informed Old Misery. “Medicine-picter of the ridge north of my camp. Mebbe I'll show it to you sometime; after I find out if it's willing. Some medicines are mighty techy. Some don't seem to care how much they're looked at. Now, Peters, I'm going to s'prise you. I'm trying to dodge trouble and need a little help.” ”

“ But I will say he's now got a big medicine working for him and oughter hit the bull's-eye. But the man who works steady for wages, here or at the bay, has the miner who ain't got any medicine beat all to pieces.
“If Peters didn't say you had good reasons for not doing a honest day's work—See here, younker: Bill Williams won't like that sort of talk a damn bit. He'd rare up on his hind legs and snort even if it was said in the sign language. Howsomever, Bill ain't no Gospel slinger. He's broad-minded, and he banks a heap on what Peters says. We'll put the whole business before him. ”

“ News ter me."
"Wal, he has; jest as he has fer years," defied Truman, thrusting forward his strong jaw. "What of it?"
"Oh. nothin'," shivered Mr. Skillins.
But Mr. Huff had not served through four years of fighting to retreat at the first gun, and although not hungering for any words with his questioner, slowly averred: "Why, there ain't nothin' of it. Only, when a man breaks out like Clab does, year after year, an' names as a price fer knucklin' under that he be allowed ter carry his derned old flag in our precession, I say he's got a lot of brass—that's all." ”

“ Truman was fer the North. Clab won't never take no part in the day's doin's at all. Lawd, fellers.' Ter think he won't even go to the grange hall an' enjoy the baked-bean supper! No, sirree! Sayin' ter me a week ago, jest before he broke out, that he's licked all right, but ain't got no call ter help us mourn fer the fellers that walloped him. So I guess he'll never take no part in the day, except ter fire a salute over his father's grave. ”

“ It seemed that Peters, in a few hours, had penetrated the barrier outside which he, after months, still remained. With him she was always shyly silent. On the few rare occasions in Paris and in London when he had found himself alone with her she had shrunk into herself and avoided addressing him; and he had wondered, irritably, how much was natural diffidence and how much due to convent training. But he had made no effort at further understanding, for the past was always present dominating inclinations and impulses—perpetual memory, jogging at his elbow. ”

“ I don't remember anything more till I woke this morning with the most appalling head. Of course, Potts had gone."
"I heard the car drive up in the middle of the night," said the girl thoughtfully. "Do you think he's at The Elms now?"
"That is what I propose to find out to-night," answered Hugh. "We have staged a little comedy for Peterson's especial benefit, and we are hoping for the best."
"Oh, boy, do be careful!" She looked at him anxiously. "I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you. ”

“ Peterson rose and walked over to the window, where he stood motionless staring out into the darkness. For all his assumed flippancy, Hugh realised that the situation was what in military phraseology might be termed critical. There were in the house probably half a dozen men who, like their master, were absolutely unscrupulous. If it suited Peterson’s book to kill him, he would not hesitate to do so for a single second. And Hugh realised, when he put it that way in his own mind, that it was no exaggeration, no façon de parler, but a plain, unvarnished statement of fact. ”

“ When men were dying around me like flies death passed me by—I wasn't fit even for that, I suppose.” He gave a ghastly little mirthless laugh that made Peters wince and came back slowly into the room, heedless of the window he had left open, and walked to the fireplace dropping his head on his arm on the mantel. “You asked me just now what I meant to do to her—it is not a question of me at all but what Gillian elects to do. I am going to her tomorrow. The future rests with her. If she turns me down—and you turn me down—I shall go to the devil the quickest way possible. ”

“ Hugh peered into the blackness tensely. After the first moment of surprise his brain was quite cool. He had looked under the bed, he had hung his coat in the cupboard, and save for those two obvious places there was no cover for a cat. And yet, with the sort of sixth sense that four years of war had given him, he knew that noise had been made by some human agency. Human! The thought of the cobra at The Elms flashed into his mind, and his mouth set more grimly. What if Peterson had introduced some of his abominable menagerie into the room? ... ”

“ He might have been an ordinary guest preparing to go to bed; and in Peterson's face there shone for a moment a certain unwilling admiration. Only Lakington's was merciless, with its fiendish look of anticipation, and Hugh stared at him with level eyes for a while before he turned towards the door.
"Then I will say 'Good night,'" he remarked casually. "Is it the same room that I had last time?"
"No," said Peterson. "A different one—specially prepared for you. If you get to the top of the stairs a man will show you where it is." He opened the door and stood there smiling. ”

“ It seemed almost a desecration to see Peters sitting opposite in her place. He grew impatient of the lengthy and ceremonious meal the old butler was superintending with such evident enjoyment, and gradually he became more silent and heedless, responding mechanically and often inaptly to Peters' flow of conversation. He wished now he had obeyed the impulse that had come to him in Algiers to go straight to Paris. ”

“ Now—they rule, and the money they earn goes into their own pockets, not those of incompetent snobs.” He flung out his arms wildly. “It is freedom; it is the dawn of the new age.” He seemed to shrivel up suddenly, as if exhausted with the violence of his passion. Only his eyes still gleamed with the smouldering madness of his soul.
Hugh looked at him with genuine curiosity; it was the first time he had actually met one of these wild visionaries in the flesh. And then the curiosity was succeeded by a very definite amazement; what had Peterson to do with such as he? ”

“ A low murmur of men's voices came from below, and leaning over the balustrade she saw Craven and his agent standing talking before the empty fireplace. Sudden shyness overcame her; her guardian was still formidable, Peters she had seen for the first time only a few hours ago when he had met them at the station—a short broad-shouldered man inclining to stoutness, with thick grey hair and close-pointed beard. ”

“ There’s something going on, young fellahs, which is big; and I can’t help thinking one might get some useful information from the meeting at the Ritz to-night. Why is Peterson hand-in-glove with a wild-eyed, ragged-trousered crowd of revolutionaries? Can you tell me that? If so, I won’t go.”
“The great point is whether you’ll find out, even if you do,” returned Peter. “The man’s not going to stand in the hall and shout it through a megaphone.”
“Which is where Ted comes in,” said Hugh affably. “Does not the Stomach-ache hold two?” ”

“ When everything was tidy Peters sat down and drank his tea, and thought about his ambitions.
Now, Mr Peters, as will have been gathered, was as ignorant as a child of the manner in which promotion takes place in a solicitor's office, and of the fact that he had no chance whatever. He was conscientious and patient, and could do mechanical work; he was quite regular. Some men can do a thing one day which they cannot do on the next, but Peters was never unexpected. ”