60 



was the excessively elegant and fashionable costume in 

 which Dick, the old fiddler, disported himself on this 

 occasion, as proud as any Greek Adonis or Roman An- 

 tinous. 



After a last glance in the bit of looking-glass fastened 

 with three nails to the wall of his bedroom, and a low 

 sigh expressive of his entire satisfaction with the coup 

 d'ceil which he saw reflected in it, Richard took his fiddle 

 under his arm and started. 



The moon, shone brightly above his head, and the stars 

 sparkled in the firmament like to use the fiddler's 

 picturesque expression gilt-headed nails hammered into 

 the celestial ceiling by an audacious upholsterer ! Not a 

 sound was audible, except the sharp crackling of the 

 snow, as Richard planted his heavy feet on the frozen 

 crust. The road which he had to traverse was very 

 narrow ; its tortuous meanders threaded a dense forest 

 never opened up by axe or saw, and whose recesses were 

 still as unknown as at the epoch when the Redskins alone 

 were in possession of the territory. The path could only 

 be tracked out by a foot traveller ; 110 road passable for 

 carriages was to be found within a circuit of several 

 miles. 



The deep and silent solitude of the scene had infallibly 

 produced its natural effect, that of terror, or, at least, of 

 apprehension, on a member of the great human family, 

 but that the old man was temporarily lost in absorbing 

 reflections, and in his overpowering anxiety to arrive at 

 the rendezvous in due time. He doubled his pace as he 

 thought of the angry glances which would await him 

 from negroes and negresses impatient to begin the dance, 

 and he deeply regretted the time he had lost in giving an 



