THE WAKE
mined to deal faithfully with Yankee. "'By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified.'"
It was now Yankee's turn to gaze helplessly at Peter. "I guess you have dropped me again," he said, slowly.
"Man," said Peter, with a touch of severity, "you will need to be more faithful with the Word of God. The Scriptures plainly declare, Mr. Latham, that it is impossible for a man to be saved in his natural state."
Yankee looked blank at this.
"The prophet says that the plowing and sowing, the very prayers, of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord."
"Why, now you're talkin', but look here." Yankee lowered his tone. "Look here, you wouldn't go for to call"—here again he jerked his head toward the house—"wicked, would you? Fur if you do, why, there ain't any more conversation between you and me."
Yankee was terribly in earnest.
"'There is none righteous, no, not one,'" quoted Peter, with the air of a man who forces himself to an unpleasant duty.
"That's so, I guess," said Yankee, meditatively, "but it depends some on what you mean. I don't set myself up for any copy-book head-line, but as men go—men, say, just like you here—I'd put—I'd put him alongside, wouldn't you? You expect to get through yourself, I judge?"
This was turning the tables somewhat sharply upon Peter, but Yankee's keen, wide-open eyes were upon
173
