And from outside: the whole parish--a few excepted--
sympathised with the Rebellion, and once the current of hatred of the
English set in, he would be swept down by it. There were only three
English people in the place. Then, if it became known that he had given
information to the authorities, his life would be less uncertain than it
was just now. Yet, confound the dirty lot of little rebels, it served
them right! He couldn't sit by and see a revolt against British rule
without raising a hand. Warn Nic? To what good? The result would be
just the same. But if harm came to this intended brother-in-law-well,
why borrow trouble? He was not the Lord in Heaven, that he could have
everything as he wanted it! It was a toss-up, and he would see the sport
out. "Have to cough your way through, my boy!" he said, as he swayed
back and forth, the hard cough hacking in his throat.
As he had said yesterday, there was only one thing to do: he must have
that five thousand dollars which was to be handed over by the old
seigneur. This time he did not attempt to find excuses; he called the
thing by its proper name.
"Well, it's stealing, or it's highway robbery, no matter how one looks at
it," he said to himself.
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