665 



her husband said, I was the most unfit man 

 for their country he had ever met with, as I 

 meant to pay every one, and they would 

 not act in the same manner to me. The 

 Colonel, when I dined with him, observed 

 to me, he had bought an estate ; and as, 

 in general conversation, he spoke much 

 against their land I was somewhat sur- 

 prised at it, and remonstrated with him : 

 he allowed it a bad property ; but asked, 

 if he acquired a little money, what could 

 he do with it, as there was no security in 

 trusting any one with cash in their coun- 

 try? The Colonel was a planter, not a 

 farmer ; indeed, sometimes, he did not 

 even raise wheat for his own use. He 

 made a jest of Mrs. Lyle's crop of wheat, 

 (which had been raised with her carriage- 

 horses and negro servant), by saying, if she 

 paid him any rent for the land, he was 

 afraid she would be debtor to cash. I could 

 not, at that time, comprehend his meaning, 

 being then unacquainted with the calcula- 

 s s 



