"Lessee, Perez, ye've been gone nigh onter nine year. Ye muss find
some changes in the taown."
Israel, as a man of more considerable social importance than the most
of those who stood around, and being moreover, old enough to be Perez'
father, had been less affected by the impulse of class jealousy than
the others.
"I've been home only one day, Mr. Goodrich," said Perez quietly, "but
I've noticed some changes already. When I went away, every man in town
had a farm of his own. As far as I've seen since I've been back, a few
rich men have got pretty near all the farms now, and the men who used
to own em, are glad of a chance to work on em as hired hands."
Such a sentiment, expressed by one of themselves, would have called
forth a shower of confirmatory ejaculations, but the people stared at
Perez in mere astonishment, the dead silence of surprise, at hearing
such a strong statement of their grievances, from one whose appearance
and manner seemed to identify him with the anti-popular, or gentleman's
side. So far as this feeling of bewilderment took any more definite
form, it evidently inclined to suspicion, rather than confidence. Was
he mocking them? Was he trying to entrap them? Even Israel looked
sharply at him, and his next remark, after quite a silence, was on
another subject.
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