that Tom might have concentrated on his nuts and wine was distracted by a sense that there were rascally enemies in the world, and that the business of grown-up life could hardly be conducted without a good deal of quarrelling. Now,Johnny Bucyk Tröjor, Tom was not fond of quarrelling, unless it could soon be put an end to by a fair stand-up fight with an adversary whom he had every chance of thrashing; and his father’s irritable talk made him uncomfortable, though he never accounted to himself for the feeling, or conceived the notion that his father was faulty in this respect.
The particular embodiment of the evil principle now exciting Mr. Tulliver’s determined resistance was Mr. Pivart,T.J. Oshie Tröjor, who, having lands higher up the Ripple, was taking measures for their irrigation, which either were, or would be,Kris Draper Tröjor, or were bound to be (on the principle that water was water), an infringement on Mr. Tulliver’s legitimate share of water-power. Dix, who had a mill on the stream, was a feeble auxiliary of Old Harry compared with Pivart. Dix had been brought to his senses by arbitration, and Wakem’s advice had not carried him far. No; Dix, Mr. Tulliver considered,Mark Scheifele Tröjor, had been as good as nowhere in point of law; and in the intensity of his indignation against Pivart, his contempt for a baffled adversary like Dix began to wear the air of a friendly attachment. He had no male audience to-day except Mr. Moss, who knew nothing, as he said, of the “natur’ o’ mills,” and could only assent to Mr. Tulliver’s arguments on the a priori ground of family relationship and monetary obligation; but Mr. Tulliver did not talk with the futile intention of convincing his audience,Mikko Koivu Tröjor, he talked to relieve himself; while good Mr. Moss made strong efforts to keep his eyes wide open, in spite of the sleepiness which an unusually good dinner produced in his hard-worked frame. Mrs. Moss, more alive to the subject,Chris Conner Tröjor, and interested in everything that affected her brother, listened and put in a word as often as maternal preoccupations allowed.
“Why, Pivart’s a new name hereabout, brother,Zach Bogosian Tröjor, isn’t it?” she said; “he didn’t own the land in father’s time, nor yours either,Grant Fuhr Tröjor, before I was married.”
“New name? Yes,James Neal Tröjor, I should think it is a new name,” said Mr. Tulliver, with angry emphasis. “Dorlcote Mill’s been in our family a hundred year and better, and nobody ever heard of a Pivart meddling with the river, till this fellow came and bought Bincome’s farm out of hand, before anybody else could so much as say ‘snap.’ But I’ll Pivart him!” added Mr. Tulliver, lifting his glass with a sense that he had defined his resolution in an unmistakable manner.
“You won’t be forced to go to law with him,Matt Cullen Tröjor, I hope, brother?” said Mrs. Moss,Dustin Brown Tröjor, with some anxiety.
“I don’t know what I shall be forced to; but I know what I shall force him to,Jannik Hansen Tröjor, with his dikes and erigations, if there’s any law to be brought to bear o’ the right side. I know well enough who’s at the bottom of it; he’s got Wakem to back him and egg him on. I know Wakem tells h
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