"
The old quilt of many squares fluttered in the draught: "Take me to the
young wife who sewed me together and showed me so proudly, for I fear
she is a-cold since her young husband died!"
These household sounds the thrilled young lovers, standing so poor and
on the brink of what they knew not, seemed to hear in awe, and drew
closer to each other, like young Eve and Adam in the great wreck of
Paradise and at the voice of God.
Hand in hand they stepped forth into the bright light of day, and walked
along the sandy street beneath the tall locust, maple, and ailanthus
trees that grew in line along the front yards of the Cannon brothers.
Four large houses stood sidewise, end to end, here: first, Cannon's
business house; next, Isaac Cannon's comfortable home, where he dwelt, a
married man; and, third, the elegant frame mansion, with tall, airy
chimneys, of Jacob Cannon the bachelor, whose house, built for a bride,
had never yet been warmed by a fire; finally, the old, bow-roofed, low
dwelling of the mother of the Cannons, opposite which was the ferry
wharf, and Van Dorn talking to the negro ferryman.
"Levin," said pretty Hulda, not sad, but very grave, "this noble house
is like that noble-looking Mr. Cannon, hollow and cold. He lives with
his brother Isaac, and keeps his own dwelling empty and locked up,
because he loved money too much to find a wife."
"Let us love each other, Huldy," Levin said; "it is all we've got.
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