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such wonderful skill; such native gifts of healing; beyond any which

medical science could impart; that society caught hold of him; and

would not let him sink out of its reach。 So; swaying to and fro upon

his horse; and grumbling thick accents at the bedside; he visited

all the sick chambers for miles about among the mountain towns; and

sometimes raised a dying man; as it were; by miracle; or quite as

often; no doubt; sent his patient to a grave that was dug many a

year too soon。 The doctor had an everlasting pipe in his mouth; and;

as somebody said; in allusion to his habit of swearing; it was

always alight with hell…fire。

   These three worthies pressed forward; and greeted Ethan Brand

each after his own fashion; earnestly inviting him to partake of the

contents of a certain black bottle; in which; as they averred; he

would find something far better worth seeking for than the

Unpardonable Sin。 No mind; which has wrought itself by intense and

solitary meditation into a high state of enthusiasm; can endure the

kind of contact with low and vulgar modes of thought and feeling to

which Ethan Brand was now subjected。 It made him doubt…and; strange to

say; it was a painful doubt…whether he had indeed found the

Unpardonable Sin; and found it within himself。 The whole question on

which he had exhausted life; and more than life; looked like a

delusion。

   〃Leave me;〃 he said; bitterly; 〃ye brute beasts; that have made

yourselves so; shrivelling up your souls with fiery liquors! I have

done with you。 Years and years ago; I groped into your hearts; and

found nothing there for my purpose。 Get ye gone!〃

   〃Why; you uncivil scoundrel;〃 cried the fierce doctor; 〃is that the

way you respond to the kindness of your best friends? Then let me tell

you the truth。 You have no more found the Unpardonable Sin than yonder

boy Joe has。 You are but a crazy fellow… I told you so twenty years

ago… neither better nor worse than a crazy fellow; and the fit

companion of old Humphrey; here!〃

   He pointed to an old man; shabbily dressed; with long white hair;

thin visage; and unsteady eyes。 For some years past this aged person

had been wandering about among the hills; inquiring of all

travellers whom he met for his daughter。 The girl; it seemed; had gone

off with a company of circus…performers; and occasionally tidings of

her came to the village; and fine stories were told of her

glittering appearance as she rode on horse…back in the ring; or

performed marvellous feats on the tight…rope。

   The white…haired father now approached Ethan Brand; and gazed

unsteadily into his face。

   〃They tell me you have been all over the earth;〃 said he;

wringing his hands with earnestness。 〃You must have seen my

daughter; for she makes a grand figure in the world; and everybody

goes to see her。 Did she send any word to her old father; or say

when she was coming back?〃

   Ethan Brand's eye quailed beneath the old man's。 That daughter;

from whom he so earnestly desired a word of greeting; was the Esther

of our tale; the very girl whom; with such cold and remorseless

purpose; Ethan Brand had made the subject of a psychological

experiment; and wasted; absorbed; and perhaps annihilated her soul; in

the process。

   〃Yes;〃 murmured he; turning away from the hoary wanderer; 〃it is no

delusion。 There is an Unpardonable Sin!〃

   While these things were passing; a merry scene was going forward in

the area of cheerful light; beside the spring and before the door of

the hut。 A number of the youth of the village; young men and girls;

had hurried up the hill…side; impelled by curiosity to see Ethan

Brand; the hero of so many a legend familiar to their childhood。

Finding nothing; however; very remarkable in his aspect… nothing but a

sun…burnt wayfarer; in plain garb and dusty shoes; who sat looking

into the fire; as if he fancied pictures among the coals… these

young people speedily grew tired of observing him。 As it happened;

there was other amusement at hand。 An old German Jew; travelling

with a diorama on his back; was passing down the mountain…road towards

the village just as the party turned aside from it; and; in hopes of

eking out the profits of the day; the showman had kept them company to

the lime…kiln。

   〃Come; old Dutchman;〃 cried one of the young men; 〃let us see

your pictures; if you can swear they are worth looking at!〃

   〃O; yes; Captain;〃 answered the Jew… whether as a matter of

courtesy or craft; he styled everybody Captain… 〃I shall show you;

indeed; some very superb pictures!〃

   So; placing his box in a proper position; he invited the young

men and girls to look through the glass orifices of the machine; and

proceeded to exhibit a series of the most outrageous scratchings and

daubings; as specimens of the fine arts; that ever an itinerant

showman had the face to impose upon his circle of spectators。 The

pictures were worn out; moreover; tattered; full of cracks and

wrinkles; dingy with tobacco…smoke; and otherwise in a most pitiable

condition。 Some purported to be cities; public edifices; and ruined

castles in Europe; others represented Napoleon's battles and

Nelson's sea…fights; and in the midst of these would be seen a

gigantic; brown; hairy hand… which might have been mistaken for the

Hand of Destiny; though; in truth; it was only the showman's… pointing

its forefinger to various scenes of the conflict; while its owner gave

historical illustrations。 When; with much merriment at its

abominable deficiency of merit; the exhibition was concluded; the

German bade little Joe put his head into the box。 Viewed through the

magnifying glasses; the boy's round; rosy visage assumed the strangest

imaginable aspect of an immense Titanic child; the mouth grinning

broadly; and the eyes and every other feature overflowing with fun

at the joke。 Suddenly; however; that merry face turned pale; and its

expression changed to horror; for this easily impressed and

excitable child had become sensible that the eye of Ethan Brand was

fixed upon him through the glass。

   〃You make the little man to be afraid; Captain;〃 said the German

Jew; turning up the dark and strong outline of his visage; from his

stooping posture。 〃But look again; and; by chance; I shall cause you

to see somewhat that is very fine; upon my word!〃

   Ethan Brand gazed into the box for an instant; and then starting

back; looked fixedly at the German。 What had he seen? Nothing;

apparently; for a curious youth; who had peeped in almost at the

same moment; beheld only a vacant space of canvas。

   〃I remember you now;〃 muttered Ethan Brand to the showman。

   〃Ah; Captain;〃 whispered the Jew of Nuremberg; with a dark smile;

〃I find it to be a heavy matter in my show…box… this Unpardonable Sin!

By my faith; Captain; it has wearied my shoulders; this long day; to

carry it over the mountain。〃

   〃Peace;〃 answered Ethan Brand; sternly; 〃or get thee into the

furnace yonder!〃

   The Jew's exhibition had scarcely concluded; when a great;

elderly dog… who seemed to be his own master; as no person in the

company laid claim to him… saw fit to render himself the object of

public notice。 Hitherto; he had shown himself a very quiet; well

disposed old dog; going round from one to another; and; by way of

being sociable; offering his rough head to be patted by any kindly

hand that would take so much trouble。 But now; all of a sudden; this

grave and venerable quadruped; of his own mere motion; and without the

slightest suggestion from anybody else; began to run round after his

tail; which; to heighten the absurdity of the proceeding; was a

great deal shorter than it should have been。 Never was seen such

headlong eagerness in pursuit of an object that could not possibly

be attained; never was heard such a tremendous outbreak of growling;

snarling; barking; and snapping… as if one end of the ridiculous

brute's body were at deadly and most unforgivable enmity with the

other。 Faster and faster; round about went the cur; and faster and

still faster fled the unapproachable brevity of his tail; and louder

and fiercer grew his yells of rage and animosity; until; utterly

exhausted; and as far from the goal as ever; the foolish old dog

ceased his performance as suddenly as he had begun it。 The next moment

he was as mild; quiet; sensible; and respectable in his deportment; as

when he first scraped acquaintance with the company。

   As may be supposed; the exhibition was greeted with universal

laughter; clapping of hands; and shouts of encore; to which the canine

performer responded by wagging all that there was to wag of his

tail; but appeared totally unable to repeat his very successful effort

to amuse the spectators。

   Meanwhile; Ethan Brand had resumed his seat upon the log; and

moved; it might be; by a perception of some remote analogy between his

own case and that of this self…pursuing cur; he broke into the awful

laugh; which; more than any other token; expressed the condition of

his inward being。 From that moment; the merriment of the party was

at an end; they stood aghast; dr

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