However,  in  a  week  the  Colonel  and  his  friend  re-
turned, and  the  most  anxious  could  find  nothing  in
their  appearance  to  justify  their  gloomy  fears.  They
had  never  looked  so  spick  and  span  and  prosperous
within  the  memory  of  Upham,  for  both  of  them  were
clad  in  glossiest  new  broadcloth,  of  city  cut,  and  both
wore  silk  bell-hats,  which  gave  them  the  air  of  Lon-
don dandies.  Jennings,  moreover,  displayed  in  his
fine  shirt-front  a  new  diamond  pin,  and  the  Colonel


424


stepped  out  with  stately  flourishes  of  a  magnificent
gold-headed  cane.
Soon  it  was  told  on  good  authority  that  the  lawyer's
house-keeper,  and  John  Jennings's  also,  had  a  present
from  the  Colonel  of  a  rich  black  satin  gown,  that  the
lawyer  had  a  gold-headed  cane — which  he  was,  indeed,
seen  to  carry,  holding  it  stiff  and  straight,  like  a  roll
of  parchment,  with  never  a  flourish — and  the  Squire
a  gun  mounted  in  silver,  and  such  a  fishing-rod  as
had  never  been  seen  in  the  village.  When  Lucina
Merritt  came  to  meeting  the  Sunday  after  the  Colo-
neFs  return,  there  glistened  in  her  little  ears,  be-
tween her  curls,  some  diamond  ear-drops,  and  Abi-
gail wore  a  shawl  which  had  never  been  seen  in
Upham  before.
Lawyer  Means's  female  relative,  and  Jennings's
house-keeper,  said,  emphatically,  that  they  didn't  be-
lieve that  either  of  them  drank  a  drop  of  anything
stronger  than  water  all  the  time  they  were  gone.
The  Colonel  was  radiant  with  satisfaction  ;  he
went  about  with  his  face  beaming  as  unreservedly  as
a  child's  who  has  gotten  a  treasure.  He  often  con-
fided to  Means  his  perfect  delight  in  his  new  wealth.
