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Chapter 17
Iwillattendthem,whenIhavecompletedmymorningpraise,towhichnothingisnowwantingbutthedoxology.Wiltthoubearapart,friend?Themetreiscommon,andthetune,‘Southwell.’"
Then,extendingthelittlevolume,andgivingthepitchoftheairanewwithconsiderateattention,Davidrecommencedandfinishedhisstrains,withafixednessofmannerthatitwasnoteasytointerrupt.Heywardwasfaintowaituntiltheversewasended;when,seeingDavidrelievinghimselffromthespectacles,andreplacingthebook,hecontinued—
"Itwillbeyourdutytoseethatnonedaretoapproachtheladieswithanyrudeintention,ortoofferinsultortauntatthemisfortuneoftheirbravefather.Inthistaskyouwillbesecondedbythedomesticsoftheirhousehold."
"Evenso."
"ItispossiblethattheIndiansandstragglersoftheenemymayintrude,inwhichcaseyouwillremindthemofthetermsofthecapitulation,andthreatentoreporttheirconducttoMontcalm.Awordwillsuffice."
"Ifnot,Ihavethatherewhichshall,"returnedDavid,exhibitinghisbook,withanairinwhichmeeknessandconfidenceweresingularlyblended."Herearewordswhich,uttered,orratherthundered,withproperemphasis,andinmeasuredtime,shallquietthemostunrulytemper:—
"‘Whyragetheheathenfuriously!’"—
"Enough,"saidHeyward,interruptingtheburstofhismusicalinvocation:"weunderstandeachother;itistimethatweshouldnowassumeourrespectiveduties."
Gamutcheerfullyassented,andtogethertheysoughtthefemales.