Part 34 (1/2)
”Potts! That doesn't sound like one of your old county naenerally believed in this here community to be a villain, Sir,” said the little tailor, mysteriously, and with the look of a man ould like very well to be questioned further
Brandon hu story, Sir”
”Oh, well--tell it I have a great curiosity to hear any old stories current in your English villages I'lish life is new tolike this in all your born days”
”Tell it then, by all means”
The tailor jumped down from his seat, went mysteriously to the door, looked cautiously out, and then returned
”It's just as well to be a little careful,” said he, ”for if thatabout hih, I tell you”
”You seem to be afraid of hie, and hate him; but I hope to God he'll catch it yet!”
”How can you be afraid of him? You all say that this is a free country”
”No man, Sir, in any country, is free, except he's rich Poor people can be oppressed in many ways; and most of us are in one way or other dependent on hih But I'll tell you about hio on”
”Well, Sir, old Mr Brandon, about twenty years ago, was one of the richest o the man Potts turned up, and however the old man took a fancy to him I never could see, but he did take a fancy to him, put all his money in some tin mines that Potts had started, and the end of it was Potts turned out a scoundrel, as every one said he would, swindled the old man out of every penny, and ruined hiht it with the very money out of which he had cheated the old man”
”Oh! iossip?”
”I wish it was, Sir--but it ain't Go ask any man here, and he'll tell you the same”
”And what became of the family?” asked Brandon, calmly
”Ah, Sir! that is the worst part of it”
”Why?”
”I'll tell you, Sir He was ruined He gave up all He hadn't a penny left He went out of the Hall and lived for a short tie At last he spent what little ot sick You wouldn't believe what happened after that”
”What was it?”
”They were all taken to the alms-house”
A burst of thunder seemed to sound in Brandon's ears as he heard this, which he had never even rehts, and did not notice the wildness that for an instant appeared in Brandon's eyes The latter for a ness by the shock of that treence
”The people felt dreadfully about it,” continued the tailor, ”but they couldn't do any thing It was Potts who had the family taken to the alms-house nobody dared to interfere”
”Did none of the county fa?” said Brandon, who at last, by a violent effort, had regained his composure
”No They had all been insulted by the old man, so now they let him suffer”