The Birthright

, for my wound, which was but slight, had healed up, when, passing by Betsey

asper, I want 'e

id that when Mr. John Wesley visited Cornwall, and was told about her, the great man looked very grave, and expressed a belief in her power. This being so, it is no wonder I did not like to offend her; neither had I any reason for doing so. She had been kind to me, and once, when I had scarlet fever, gave me some stuff that cured me even when Dr. Martin said I should be dead in a few hours. Besides, according to my father's promise, I had been friendly with Eli, her son. Now, Eli was several years older than I, but he never grew to be more than about four feet high, and was the most ill-formed creature I have ever seen. He had bow legs, a hu

in a corner of the open fireplace and looked at me steadfastly with

what Nick Tresidder wanted to do, then? A

ou know?"

ou'll be paid out, Maaster Jasper! Tell y' Dick

coming?"

; 'ave 'ee bin to zee yer

N

Wy, 'ee's nearly dead; he may be dead by now. What

been charged, and I hoped that my grandfather would m

s dead, es dead," said Eli, in h

naw, Eli?" as

d then he laughed in his funny wa

come into my heart, although my father had told me th

go and zee,

When I got into Falmouth town I saw an ironmonger whom I knew,

poor gran'father

ied; "I did not

es. Ah, there'll be a change now! Th' ould man was the soul of generosity; but the sons, Peter and Paul, nobody'll be ab

street, and with them was Richard Tresidder. I checked my horse and watched them, and saw that they entered a lawyer's of

hich was fixed for three days later, and which I attended. After the funeral was over the will was r

yer Tresidder, however, the whole of my grandfather's property was left to his two sons, Peter and Paul Quethiock, and it was left to their generosity as to whether I, his grandson, Jasper Pennington, should remain at the Barton free of all rent, and whether the land should be eventually mine. Thus, according to the lawye

that he had a Pennington for a grandson. Thus I am sure that it was his will that I should have the Barton for my own. But during the las

been in league with the Tresidders; and so, feeling that it was their intention to defraud me, I became dazed and bewildered. I have a confused recollection of asking some questions, and of the replies given, and

awyer Trefry, the son of the old lawyer who drew up my grandfather's will. He listened to my stor

t once. I will examine the will, and if there is a chance you may depend that I will seize on it. But remember this: N

t in spite of William Dawe's anxious solicitations I held my peace. It is true Lawyer Trefry gave me some little hope, but I did not sleep that night, and for the next

that your grandfather meant you to have the Barton-not the slightest doubt; but then, you see, it is not le

. "For a long time I have wondered why Richard Tresidder should be so friendly with Peter and Pau

er Trefry, suddenly, as thoug

xt month,"

ethiock live a month lon

d have been the

u had held the land for twenty years,

ough we talked over a dozen things together,

te the place, as Paul Quethiock intended to take possession thereof immediately. I had expected this, and had been for days trying to value the stock on the place. As I have before stated, I was barely twenty years of age, and although my father h

ht from Falmouth by messenger, I saddled my ma

fully, and then asked me if

leave it; now I am come to you to arrange with James Trethewy and John Bassett about selling the stock. I s

ave, but said not

boy, Nicholas Tresidder is a clever dog-a very clever dog. He's been set to work on

ll fetch very little more than the ￡500 my father spent wh

ng that I knew the worst. I imagined that when the stock was sold I should be worth several

enger of Lawyer Nicholas Tresidder from Falmouth. This letter stated that as no rent had been paid since the death of Margaret

rd Tresidder would pay me out, and he had done so now. Six years' rent would swallow up the value of the stock, and would take every penny I possessed. Thus at twenty I, who, but for the fraud and deceit of the Tresidders, wou

awyer Trefry, and

uld come. Nick Tresidder is a clever dog;

hope for me?" I

our liberty," he replied. "I do not see how they can rob y

the r

o; there is no hope for it-none at

here is no need; enough to say that all I had was taken, that I

plain to see, too, that it would be to Peter and Paul Quethiock's advantage to try and take the Barton from me. It was a valuable piece of land, and would enrich them considerably. There was no difficulty, either, in seeing Richard Tresid

ere inclined to be friendly avoided me. By and bye only one house was open to me, and that was old Betsey Fraddam's. It was true I visited the taverns and beershops in the neighbourhood, and formed companionships with men who years before I despised; but

upon, spoase Squire Trezidder 'ave chaited 'ee-that ed'n to zay you shall m

I do it

bit a smugglin'

me in the clutches of the law that way it will just ple

ear cheeld. Git on board a shep there, an' go

tsey; besides, I don't want to get away from St. Eve

re. 'E's too clever for you; he c'n allays bait 'ee while you

said after she had been talking to me in this fa

'way, I go 'way. I help Jasper. I knaw! I knaw!" and then the poor gn

Barton William Dawe and his family left the parish. For a long time I could not make up my mind to ask for work as a common labourer in a parish where I had been regarded as the owner of a barton. It seemed beneath me, and my foolish pride, while it did not forbid me to idle away my days and live in anything but a manly way, forbade me to do hones

d have left the parish but for a seemingly unreasonable desire to be near Richard Tresidder, who da

more that of a savage than of anything else. People said, too, that the look of a devil shone from my eyes, and I saw that people avoided me. And as I brooded over this, and remember

lehouse and try and forget my sorrow, but I nursed my anger all the time, and never once did I give up my dreams of harming the Tresidders. I write all this b

g sort of way. As I trudged along plans for injuring them formed themselves in my mind, one of which I presently determined I would carry into effect. It was the plan of a savage, and perhaps a natural one. My idea was to wait outsi

hey would return. I discovered that they intended to leave the George Inn about five o'clock in the evening, s

d Tresidder, with his son Nick, besides several other gentlemen, coming down the street. Scarcely realising what I

t? Who got Pennington by che

u blackguard," cried Ni

led my grandfather; he hocussed him into making a false will, and he and yo

y blow on the chin which sent him reeling backward, and when his son Nick sprang upon me I threw him from me with great force, so that he fell to the ground, and I saw the b

d planned, and yet I was pleased because I had disgraced Tresidder-at least, I thought I had-before the whole town. I have an idea that questions were asked about me, and that one of the magistrates who knew my grandfather said it was a pit

My neck was pressed into one socket and my wrists in the two others. Then another stout piece of board, with hollow places cut out to correspond with the other, was placed on the top of it. This pressed my neck very hardly, and strained it so that I could hardly breathe; it also fast

ith cabbage stumps and turnips. After I had stood there about three hours some one came and made the thing easier, or I should no

o small, and I could not get enough breath to utter a word. Still, anger, I am sure, glared from my eyes as I looked at Nick and his sister; but when I looked at the other maiden, a feeling which I cannot describe came over me. She was young-not, I should think, quite eighteen-

ich, to me, was as sweet as the sound of a b

He is a blackguard; he nearly

so my heart throbbed with a new feeling, an

kind, handsome face, and he looks

ill be flogged presently, then

d! Sure

were allowed to use the whip. Why,

I would give worlds, did I possess them, to tell her the whole truth. I wondered

e up, and I heard one ask wh

the reply. "She is M

e?" asked this m

have almost blotted out the name. It is Jas

e way I first m