Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/179

 Rh most blasphemous oaths as he left the church, and ended with exclaiming, "Thou shalt pay me for this."

After the service was concluded, some of the elders of the Church came and spoke to me on the subject. I protested to them that it was the first I had heard of it, and therefore they must ascribe the singular coincidence to the Providence of God alone. Mr. de la Croix would never believe it, and he continued his threats of vengeance; and in the end, he made his words good, for he was the cause of much anxiety and distress to me.

On Monday morning it was ascertained that father and son were alike unable to pay for the cargo. The son absconded, and I never heard more of him. The creditors took possession of the articles, and each tradesman, as far as possible, took back his own property, and the vessel was soon emptied. The captain was the chief loser, for he had to seek a fresh freight.

Mr. de la Croix kept his promise, and lost no opportunity by which he could revenge himself upon me for the injury he imagined I had inflicted upon him. His plan was to try to poison the minds of my flock, and make them dissatisfied with me. He began first with persons whom he knew to be weak and vain; he told them they need not expect to rise to consideration in the city while they had a Presbyterian for their pastor. In this way he made an impression on the minds of some who aspired to the office of Mayor or Sheriff; they in turn talked over the matter with others, and by degrees a spirit of opposition was infused into the minds of a number of my hearers, and they waited upon me to request that I would receive ordination from the Bishop. I was not at all disposed to accede to their request, on the contrary, I