'
To this ridiculous speech Bartine made no imme-
diate reply, but sat looking gravely into the fire.
Fearing that I had offended I was about to apolo-
gize and beg him to think no more about the mat-
ter, when looking me calmly in the eyes he said:
'My dear fellow, the levity of your manner
does not at all disguise the hideous impudence
of your demand; but happily I had already de-
cided to tell you what you wish to know, and no
manifestation of your unworthiness to hear it
shall alter my decision. Be good enough to give me
your attention and you shall hear all about the
matter.
'This watch,' he said, 'had been in my family for
three generations before it fell to me. Its original
owner, for whom it was made, was my great-grand-
father, Bramwell Olcott Bartine, a wealthy planter
of Colonial Virginia, and as staunch a Tory as ever
lay awake nights contriving new kinds of maledic-
tions for the head of Mr. Washington, and new
methods of aiding and abetting good King George.
One day this worthy gentleman had the deep misfor-
tune to perform for his cause a service of capital im-
portance which was not recognized as legitimate by
those who suffered its disadvantages. It does not mat-
ter what it was, but among its minor consequences
was my excellent ancestor's arrest one night in his
own house by a party of Mr. Washington's rebels. He
was permitted to say farewell to his weeping family,
and was then marched away into the darkness which
swallowed him up for ever.
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