INTR OD UCT ION

THIS tale of love and valor i s woven around anepisode of international history, the fifth s iege of

Quebec by the Continen tal troops,under General

Richard Montgomery,during the war of the Ameri

can Revolut ion . N0 event chronicled in the annalsof the Republ ic or of the Dominion surpasses i t inromantic interest and picturesqueness of detai l ; andfor daring

,courage and endurance of hardship , few

adventures equal that midwinter attack on what wasthen an impregnable stronghold .

The swords forming the cover design of thisvolume are reproductions of two of the identicalweapons which figured in that notable assault . Theone on the left was carried by S ir Guy Carleton , thecommander of the Canadian forces , the other by anofficer under Colonel Benedict Arnold ’ s command .

'As the two rusty and trusty old blades now l i epeacefully s ide by side in the picture - gal lery of theChat eau de Ramezay, in Montreal , we hOpe thatafter a century of peace, the occas ion may neverarise when the two nations they represent will againcross swords .

H

IX .

BES IEGED

XI .

XII .

X IV.

X V.

X VI .

XVII .

XVIII .

XIX.

! OY- BELLS AND BONFIRES

XXI.

CON TE NTS

WHICH S HALL IT BE ?

II.

I II .

MARCH HE WILL !THE CURE OF LORETTE

ALARM BE LL S R ING

PARTINGS

A BLOOD - S TAINED MESSENGER

Vows

THE MON ! S

THE FLIGHT

MORAL SUAS ION

DISCRETION THE BETTER PART OF VALOR

S HIPS IN BATTLE

DO OR DI E !

A MOURNFUL DINNER PARTY

A GALLANT S IGHT

CHALLENGED

WHO S HALL WIN ?

THE BITTER END

MARRIAGE BE LL S

CRO S S E D SWO R D S

CHAPTER I .

WHICH SHAL L I T BE ?

’

TI s but a dreary month at best ! I love not

bleak November,

” exclaimed sweet Phyll i s Davenant

,as she turned from the window with its un inv it

ing'

outlook, and drew near the hearthstone , theroom bright in the warm coloring of waxed floor,rafter and firelit pane .

On that ev en ing i n the year of grace 1 775 theskies hung sul len and grey over the l ittl e wal ledtown of Montreal

,lying ’ twixt mountain and river .

The mellow Indian summer,with its splendor of

golden sunshine and crimsoning woods , had beenbrief

,the Canadian autumn setting in earl ier than

usual . The trees were already bare, and S harpgusts of wind drove the fallen leaves into witheredheaps on the brick s idewalks and cobble - stone pavements of the narrow streets

,which followed the old

winding trai ls of the red man along the shore .Drawing a chair toward the glowing maple logs

,

before which her mother sat, apparently absorbedin some disquieting train of thought

,the gi rl

,throw

ing Off her momentary d epress ion,sa id

,as she

seated herself contentedly within the ci rcl e of l ightand warmth

I o CROSSED SWORDS

Of a truth the fireside cheer seems most gratefulwhen ’ti s S O chi ll and forbidding without . Thereseav ows that the rough winds on such a day as thiswork woeful havoc with her complexion

,upon wh ich

she bestows such care,so she

,too,

in all l ikel ihoodi s keeping close to the chateau chimney - corner .”

Seeking to divert thei r minds and break hermother’s brooding si lence

, she pleaded persuasively°

“ Let me draw your chair closer,mother S it

here beside me and talk to me of our dear England .

I have but d im memories of i t, but there i s something in the twil ight hour that ever brings i t to mymind , though I was but a child when we set sai l tocome hither to America .

”

“ Alack ! we are far away from it to- night,and

with but scant certainty of see ing its shores for manya day to come ,

” s ighed the gently - born Engl i sh lady,whose sold ier - husband was doing mil itary duty inthe Canadian colony

,which but a few years before

had been wrested from the French . As she gazeddreamily at the crackl ing logs

,Phyl l i s dropped at

her feet and laid her golden head in .her mother’ s lap .

I would , chi ld ,” the elder woman continued wist

fully,

“ that I could hear the old minster bel lschime thi s evening over my sweet Engl ish garden ,where you were wont to play among the jasmineand rosemary . I would I could see the sunset fallacross the fai r green fields and lanes

,and o n the

glebe and croft at home . Sometimes in my dreamsI hear again the rooks caw among the elms and then ightingale s ing in the coppice

,and see the l ights

gleam from the easements of the old house inDevon ; and laying her hand on the golden hair she

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? I I

whispered : At times I feel I ne’er shal l look on

England and our kindred there again .

”

Looking up into her mother ’s face, and softlystroking the lace fal l ing over the hand she wascaressing

,Phyll is

,seeking to cheer her

,interrupted ,

saying brightly,as she po int ed to the hearth :

And I fancy I see a picture in the fire . It i s aship

,not many years hence

,here by the riverside ,

with sai ls set.

for old England . On board areBriti sh redcoats

,for our Governor

,his term of office

ended , i s returning home ; my father , as befits a

member of his staff,accompanying him . A few

weeks later, wind and wave favorable , I see a certainmaid and matron once again in the old manor- houseof my forefathers

,among the dear hil l s of Devon

sh ire, wh ere the Davenants have dwelt s ince theTudor kings sat on the throne o f England .

”

The sudden fall ing of a log,which sent a shower

of tsparks up the wide - throated chimney and scattered l ive coals on the hearthstone created a d iversion which prevented the daughter s seeing the tearsgathering in her mother’s eyes

,as r ising, she said

sadly’Tis a fai r picture

,ch i ld

,and mayhap not un

l ikely to come true , were it not for th i s rebel l ion ofHis Maj esty ’s colonies to the south of us

,in what

they cal l New England .

’ I trow i f they there continue to observe such treasonable behav ior

,the p lace

wi l l soon scarce be worthy of that name .”

Are there any further tidings ? Have th ey not

long ere thi s com e to real ize that to oppose Brit i sharms and prowess were fol ly the most lamentable !”

asked Phyl l i s with uneasiness,endeavoring to hide

1 2 CROSSED SWORDS

her own anxiety on discerning the seriousness ofher mother ’s countenance as she repl ied :Their quarrel with the k ing concerns not us, nor

would it give us cause for alarm,had not news come

that i t i s the purpose of these rebels to coerce Canadato j o in them in revolt . It has been known for sometime that an armed force i s making its way north, byway of the Hudson and Richel ieu, and it cannotmuch longer be concealed that a s iege of the townmay take p lace any day or hour

,though I fain would

spare you knowledge of i t .The faint pink of Phyll i s ’s cheeks suddenly paled

to ivory whiteness,and with her blue eyes wide with

terror, she clutched her mother

’s arm,as i f seeking

protection in its frai l defence . With white l ips shestammeredMother

,we have arms and soldiers , and vaulted

cel lars fil led with stores in case of necessity . SurelyBriti sh regulars have no need to fear these poorlyd iscipl ined rebe l recruits , many of whom we hearare untrained rustics

,

” adding with a severity un

usual to her,they will ere long discover that thei r

ski ll l ies more in the use of ploughshares andpruning—hooks than in that of swords and spears !”

W i thout waiting for a reply,and drawing hersel f

erect with quick change of mood, she exclaimed , her

eyes flash ingI am a sold ier’s daughter

,mother

,and wil l not

quai l before thi s peri l,however d ire or threatening !”

Then glancing down, she asked quickly

What i s that bulky miss ive in the reticule at yourside ? I f it contain tidings

,good or i l l

,l et me hear

them . Never hath it been said that a Davenant ,

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 1 3

man or woman,played the coward ! I wi l l be

worthy of my l ineage !”

With some reluctance Mistress Davenant tookfrom its hid ing - place a closely—written packet , ofwhich the seals were broken

,and placed it in the

excited girl ’s hands,saying :

“ Were Montreal the only point menaced someshi ft might !be made to withstand attack ; though anyhope of doing so successful ly would , I fear, be buti l l - founded . The walls that encompass the town arebut of rough masonry and timber of no greatstrength

,and the fort

,La Citadelle

,

’ as the Frenchcalled it

,only a weak structure o f wood with earth

works . ”’Tis t ru e, mother , we may here be somewhat

defence less,but remember that Quebec has ramparts

of stone and stout fort ificat ions that are knownto be impregnable . Wolfe himself

,as you know

ful l well,had to have recourse to stratagem ,

and asThe

’

rese de L ér ie forgets not to remind me, hadMontcalm remained entrenched behind its wall s ourflag might not now be float ing over Cape Diamond,

”

was the reassuring reply .

To take i t by strategy,then

,must be the purpose

of thi s invasion . By post -messenger thi s morn,your

father hath received private information that asecond hosti le army i s advancing toward Quebec

,by

way of the forests of Maine, bent on that strong

hold ’ s reduct ion,” the mother dej ectedly repl i ed .

Ha , ha !” laughed Phyll i s

,

“ that most certainlyseems a madness scarce in keeping with commonsense . I would read thi s message an ’ i t please you

,

mother . This i s no time for secrecy . I must knowthe worst .

I 4 CROSSED SWORDS

Ascertain, then, for yoursel f, my chi ld . Con

cealment for the moment would be but putting off

what sooner or later al l must know .

”

With crimsoning cheeks Phyl l i s glanced throughthe pages Without a word , unti l, comi ng to thesignature

,inscribed in a bold

,free hand

, she readaloud :Yours

,honored si r , in deep respect and with

much concern,EDWARD VAN ROSFE L D T .

Van rosfeldt, Vanrosfeldt,”she pondered , repeat

ing the name . “ It surely hath a famil iar sound .

Who i s thi s Edward Vanrosfeldt who presumes tothus address a Brit ish Officer ? What cool audacityhe shows , that in the same breath he S hould havethe monstrous effrontery to declare that he himsel f,who had erstwhile served under the king’s standard

,

has j oined these trai tors and i s marching againsthi s former friend and fel low - soldier ! ’Ti.s almostpast bel ief ! It angers me beyond control !” and

curl ing her l ip with scorn,she ej aculated b itter ly :

A truly despicable man he must be, forsooth ,and utterly d evoid of al l sense of manly honor andloyal duty !”

Surprised at so unusual an outburst of passion inone of so gentle a nature

,her mother laid her hand

restrainingly on her daughter’s shoulder,saying

quietly :Calm yoursel f, my chi ld ; th i s v iolence of speech

i s unbeseeming a gentlewoman . The women o f ourrace have ever been mild - mannered and slow tocensure . This Edward Vanrosfeldt, as I rememberhim, some twelve or thi rteen years ago, was a brave

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 1 5

and handsome boy, but recently enl i sted, and l ikehis chief

,General Wolfe

,on the field of action when

but sixteen years o f age . He was with our troopswhen they entered thi s city ’ s gate victorious , afterQuebec had fallen .

A l ight of recollection suddenly flashed acrossPhyll i s ’ s face

,as she queri ed , the word s coming

sharply from her l ip s :When two years afterward we left England to

j oin my father here , was i t not thi s same youth whowas tended through a long

,sore i llness

,here in this

ve ry house,and who swore eternal gratitude for

your motherly care of him ? I was but s ix yearsold at that time, and so cannot now recall hi s face ,but I have heard somewhat about him .

”

Of a truth it was even so,

” repl i ed the mothermeditatively ; and mayhap this word of warningsent may be proof that he st i l l hath recol lection of

i t . He was a winsome lad , with a ruddy Engl ishfairness , albeit

'

his mother’ s tkin,i f I remember aright,

were from the Low Countries . ”

Unsoothed ‘by the quiet words,Phyll i s walked the

length of the room,and on turning to retrace her

steps , exclaimed , tears of mingled anger and disdainfil l ing her eyes :I have no memory of thi s fal se

,fair - looking

rebel , and had I , I would str ive to blot i t from mymind . I trust it may never fal l out that we crosspaths . I fear I could scarce restrain my b itter loathing within the bounds o f prudence and proper courtesy. He

°

would then know how Phyll i s Davenantregards such as he !”

As her mother left the room,the anxious l ines

1 6 CROSSED SWORD S

deepening on her brow,Phyll is sank into her chair .

With her momenta ry courage gone,she thrust the

offending letter into the lacing of her bodice,and

with hands clasped l istlessly on her lap, sat thinkingwith fear and trembl ing of what might soon bet ide.Startled suddenly by the sound of a tap

,tap on the

pane,she looked quickly up to see a laughing face

looking in through the long French window . Inthe black eyes and w ind ablown curls she recognizedher dearest f riend , Thérése de L ér ie. Beokon ingher to come in , Phyll i s hastened to open the doorto admit her v i si tor, whose natural gaiety, she knew ,

would help to d ispel the gloom which enveloped herown sp irit . W i th a whiff of coo l air from withoutTherese tripped over the threshold

,and

,clasping

Phyll i s in her arms,said

,as she kissed her on both

cheeks,in her pretty French fashion :

My dear Phyl l i s,tel l me

,I pray

,what means

your sitt ing alone thus dole fully in the eveningshadows , and wearing so disconsolate a look ! You

seem truly as dull and gloomy as the day . Onewould think the care of al l the colonies rested on

your shoulders . To be sure,the times are such as

to sadden even my lightheartedness . This morningI trembled when I thought I had discovered a greyha ir am ong my braids . ’Twould scarce be wondered at

,with news of war and riot constantly in

one ’s hearing .

Throw off your hood , Thérése, I beg of you,

and si t down with me by the fires ide, said Phyl l i s .offering her a rust ottomed chair .Most certainly I wi l l do so

,i f you really feel as

d istrai te. as your looks beto‘ken,answered Therese ,

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1 8 CROSSED SWORDS

where the spinet stood Open . Thrumming softlysome opening chords

,she tr i l led a few l ines of a

French serenade I e t’

aime,man ang e, je t

’aime

,

”

with a passion of sweetness , such as a lovelorntroubadour

,with t inkl ing lute

,might have sung

’neath hi s lady ’s lattice casement . Then whirl ingaround

,she laughed l ightly

,saying :

“ I have learned that from Leon . Poor,dear

Leon,he has of late taken to s inging the most

tender,heart - touching melodies . He del ights in

long,lonely walks when the moon shines , and I

have discovered him even composing verse and lovesonnets . I am told these are the sign s of the gr andpassion .

As she rattled on in her sl ightly accented Engl i sh ,Phyll i s ’s sombre mood melted

,and shelaughed :

Do not be alarmed,Therese

,at eighteen these

symptoms are not to be regarded with ser iousness .Leon wil l recover , be assured ; but who , pray, i sthe maiden of h is choice ? I am at a loss to know .

”

Truly, i t i s strange, but he has not yet mademe his confidante . I

,who am hi s twin—si ster , know

not his secret . Our birthday féte we wi l l celebratenow in a few d ays

, as you know ,and perchance we

may then discover to whom among the demoisel leshe has lost his heart . D o you not ag ree with mePhyll is , that true affection brooks not concealment ?

”

she enquired petulantly . As she asked the question ,glancing up

,she caught sight of the letter

,which

Phyll i s had part ially h idden , and snatching it fromher girdle

,said reproachfully :

Friend of my heart,i s th is a bi llet- dorm ? ’Tis

surely in a man’ s handwriting ! Ah ! who would

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 1 9

beli eve that you,too

,would seek to deceive me .

You have a lover,and have concealed i t from me !

And worse,

”she cried , i t bears the mark of having

come from Boston town,by the belated post - rider

who arr ived th is morning and who has set thewhole town affright with his alarming tidings .

”

Stamping her foot angri ly,her eyes blaz ing

,she

continued hotly °

Fie on thee,Phyll i s Davenant ! Intrigue and

double - deal ing are unworthy one whom I have everthough t was a true friend and loyal Briti sh maiden !”

I wil l explain,

” exclaimed Phyll i s,taking up the

letter which Therese had thrown angri ly on theescritoi re

,her speech quickened by the impetuous

inj ustice o f the innuendo ; but regardless of the interruption ,

the offended girl would not l i sten , butwent on :Even I , Therese de L ér ie, who bear no l ove for

those who drove King Loui s ’ s troops out of this land .

which France won with valor and courage from thewilderness, would not stoop to parl ey with a rebel ,

”

and catch ing up her s ilk pel i sse,she made ready to

leave .

“ Therese,sa id Phyll i s qui et ly

,deta ining her

,

you are partly in the right,but more in the

wrong. The letter,

’ ti s true,i s from Boston town

,

and from a man whom we hold to be a traitor tohi s king and country

,one Edward Van rosfeldt.

But lover of mine,forsooth ! All you have said

would be wel l deserved,i f I fel t aught but bitter

aversion for him whose hand writ these l ines .Appeased

,her Apri l nature breaking into smiles

after the storm of passion, Therese, ra ising her

2 0 CROSSED SWORDS

brows archly,as she t ied the s i lken ribands of her

hood,said provokingly

,with inconsi stence :

Were he i l l - favored ’ twould be easier,Phyll is

mine ; and who knows how soon our loyalty may beput to the test, for i f , as i s feared , these Cont inentalsgain access Within this city ’ s wall s, i t may chancethat we shal l meet thi s pol ite enemy of ours . Imyself

,make no promises

,for where a handsome

face is concerned I cannot pledge myself to hate . ”

Glancing at the deepening darknes s without,she

said,a l ittle penitently °

Pardon me,I beg ; I was perhaps too hasty ; so

now let us for a moment consider a more pleasanttheme

,the one about which I came hither to con

verse . I must hasten, el se ma mére wil l bealarmed , and send in search of me . The topic i sour birthday féte, Leon

’ s and mine . We will beeighteen one week from to- day

,and the whole town

i s bidden to make merry with us, French and Engl ish al ike . I , of cours e , mean those o f proper standing in society . It wil l be my début into the gaiet iesof social l i fe

,and I scarce can wait for the hour to

come . You must not outshine me,for I intend to

be the bel le of the ball . My mother,who was a court

beauty in her time,i s turning the chateau upside

down that the de L ér i es may receive in somewhat ofthe state and splendor befitt ing thei r descent . You

should but glance at the preparations in the cuis inesuch trussing

,brai sing and posseting as there will

be ; such solemn conferences as there are over themaking of a paté or frappe, that one would thinkthere were no such things as poss ible bombardmentsand menacing foes .

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 2 1

What gown wil l you wear,Therese ?” asked

Phyll is,caught by the glamor of the promised revel .

That i s what I myself am most concerned about .I have spent hours with

’

the mod i ste,trying to decide

’twixt satin and brocade,and what color would be

most becoming . You will see,Phyll i s , when the

night comes , what my choice wi l l be . My coiffurei s to be in the latest mode in favor at Queen MarieAn toinette ’s court . The mother of our l ittle domest ic

,Lizette

,was waiting- woman to our dear Mar

quise de Vaudreui l , so she has deft fingers and hasacquired much ski l l in the dress ing of the hair . Ithink,

”she continued , contentedly, that I shal l not

look unl ike the portra its of my kinsfolk of courtcircles

,which hang on our salon walls . ”

Dear Therese,I may find i t d ifficul t to recognize

you in powder, puffs and patches ,” said Phyll i s ,

smil ing at the innocent vanit i es ; you wil l find norival

,I trow

,in my pale yel low hai r and simple

white frock . No one would see me when you arenigh .

”

“ ’Tis not l ikely,Phyll i s

,she repl ied

,with a

pleasant smile,that we

,who are so d ifferent

,will

fal l in love w ith the same man . Captain BasilTemple’s blue naval uni form and Engl i sh ai r wil ldoubtless catch your fancy

,and I have noted that

he much admires blue eyes . I mysel f prefer thebri l l iance of mil itary accoutrements ; and o f redcoats, there wil l be not a few to choose from ; but Imust make haste to say an rev oi r .

” Hurriedly making her adieux

,in a few moments she was hastening

along the Rue de Notre Dame to her own home inthe centre of the town, fear ful of be ing belated onthe short autumn afternoon .

2 2 CROSSED SWORDS

The Chateau de L ér ie was the most stately dwelling in the colony

,having been the res idence of the

French Governors in their time,where they had

held court in imitat ion of that of King Louis , withthe same punct i l ious etiquette in dress and manners ,adapted

,of course

,to the cruditi es and restri ct ion s

of Provincial l i fe . S ince the evacuat ion of the towni n 1 760 ,

when the Marquis de Vaudreuil , the lastof the French rulers

,retired with hi s family to

France,i t had been occup ied by a member of h i s

suite who had remained in Canada , having landedinterests in the Province . The household consistedof Monsieur and Madame de L ér ie and their twinson and daughter

,who were so extrem ely al ike in

Speech and feature as to be an unceasing source ofamusement to thei r fr iends

,and

,at times

,of annoy

ance to themselves . The sparkl ing lovel iness of

Therese was sl ightly marred by a smal l crimsonbirth - mark

,which

,to her grief

,spoi led somewhat

the smoothness of her brow,and which she petti shly

complained should have been given to her brotherinstead of hersel f

,saying that comel iness was of

l ess concern to a man than a woman .

” Leon,who

from their cradle had loved and almost worshippedhis s i ster with a passionate affection

,would then

soothe her by saying, that i f by suffering he couldremove the blem ish from her brow to his own

,he

would gladly bear the pain to spare her even thatsl ight misery , when she would reply :Some day , mayhap , in s ome sudden peri l of

ci rcum stance or fate , should a choice ari se betwixtus , I may put you to the proof, and test your will tospare me suffering .

”

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 2 3

Therese thought i t no small thing to be of gentlebirth . She was intensely proud of her family

’

sl ineage on the sp indle s ide from the old noblesse,

and of the ancestor who came over in the vesse lof the adventurous Paul de Maisonneuve

,the

founder of the city,and who

,with h is own hands .

had planted the l i l i ed flag of King Louis hard bywhere her roses then grew . She loved the beauti fulgardens surrounding the old grey chateau , whereflowers

,whose ancestral seeds had been brought

over from the monas teri es and castles of old France,

bloomed through the hot months of the shortnorthern summer . I t was her del ight to walk byher mother ’s s ide along the box - bordered gardenpaths , under the stiff rows of Lombardy poplars ,and l isten to tales of the old régime , when S ieur deMontcalm and the valorous de Levis were guestsunder the roof she called her home . Many a timewithin its wall s toasts had been d runk to thoseheroes when they had . passed through the town

,

after victory on the fields of Oswego and Cari l lon .

Despite the resentment which Thérése de L ér iecherished in secret against those who had made conquest of her native land

,the French maiden loved

the Engl ish girl with al l the warmth of her young .

impulsive,Southern heart . There had never been

any thought o f rivalry between them,nor break in

thei r affection , even though Therese’

s sudden gustsof passion and extremes of love and aversion might .with a less gentle nature

,have imperilled thei r

fri endship . With sweet , gracious ways , which hadcome down to her from dead and gone gentle ladies

,

who had held thei r mild rule in moated grange or

2 4 CROSSED SWORD S

manor - house beyond the sea, Phyll i s had alreadybecome a belle and toast of provincial l i fe . Unwitt ingly she had won the heart of more than oneyoung subaltern of the gar i son and beau of thetown

,some of whose l ikings were but mere passing

attachments of the hour ; but there was one amongthem

,Leon de L ér ie

,who

,though scarce more than

a boy,knew that his love was no boy - fancy, but the

master passion of his l i fe . It had grown with theyears

,since

,as a lad

,he had run from his school

companions in the col lege of the Jesuit fathers tocarry the books and samplers of Therese and

Phyll is,on their way home from the convent of

the good sisters . The natural intimacy of childrenthus ci rcumstanced had given r ise to no thought inthe mind of any of feel ings other than brotherlyand sisterly affection between them

,until the son

and daughter had reached an age when the longnurtured plans of their parents must be made knownto them .

Arriving at the gate of the chateau,breathing

quickly, and glad that the walk through the fastgather ing dusk was ended , Therese pl i ed the greatbrass knocker and waited to be admitted . A lightstep within

,and the door was thrown quickly open

,

and Lizette , a shade of anxiety creasing her prettybrow , said pol itely °

“Madamoiselle i s late . Madame has been d is

turbed at the lateness of the hour,and Monsieur

des ires Mam ’sell e would attend him in the salon

immediately on arriving .

“ I wil l do so , Lizette . Here are my hood and

pel i sse ; take them to my chamber , and I wil l go tomy father at once . ”

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2 6 CROSSED SWORDS

that now your mother hath,but before your b irth

there was another son . It chanced upon a day ,some sixteen years ago this very month , that yeboth fel l grievously sick

,str icken with the same

fell malady that once before had left us childless .We trembled with dread and were di straught withgrie f

,and when al l hope seemed fled , we cast our

selves upon our knees and vowed to Heaven that i fyour l ives were spared , one of you twain shouldfrom that hour be consecrated to the Church . I f itwere you

,Leon

,to the Jesuit priesthood should you

be given ; i f you , ma peti te, turning to Therese ,“ then to the saintly vei l of the Grey Nuns should

you be consecrated . Hour after hour we watchedand prayed , unti l , at last , first one and then the otherfel l into quiet

,heal ing sleep

,and we knew our

prayers were heard and vows accepted .

”

Looking into thei r eyes,and taking a hand of

each , he asked in a low ,troubled voice °

Which shal l i t be,my children ?”

Suddenly springing to her feet , the color fledfrom her cheeks , Therese cried with dry, blazingeyes :It must not be e ither of us ! Speak

,Leon

,say

it can never be . We cannot,will not, do th is

thing !“What say you ?

” her father asked,hi s voice

trembl ing with the b itterness of his emotions .Would v ou say to your father , Break now thesesolemn vows and become anathema

’ ? Alas ! yemust decide which it shal l be . Will you not say,

Therese,‘

Let me take vows ’ ? Think what i twould cost me to give my son

,my only son

,with

WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 2 7

whom must end our noble l ine, to monkish l i fe !

Therese,

’

tis for you to say i f thi s shal l be !” As helooked with an anguished plea into her eyes, sheshrank away shuddering from the arm he hadplaced around her

,crying :

Oh ! no,no

,I cannot

,even for my Leon’ s sake ,

take the vei l ! I have no vocation to make profession

, to tread the path of sanctity ; not even i f mysoul ’s happiness and salvat ion depend upon it . Something in my heart forbids ; I want l i fe , I want freedom ! I love too well thi s world and al l i t holds ofmirth and pleasure !”

Turning quickly to her brother and fall ing at h isfeet wi th hands clasped in suppl ication , and heartthrobbing wildly

,she pleaded

“ Leon, you did ever promise to bear pain and

suffering in my stead . Now truly you must do as

you have sa id ,” and cl inging to him with streaming

eyes , she criedSave me

,Leon

,by that pledge—save me now

from the cold, sad cloister, from this hard and cruel

fate —I cannot keep thi s v ow !”

Raising her from her knees,with face pale as i f

al l the warmth of h i s young l i fe were str icken fromhim

,he said

,in a voice he scarcely knew as his own :

I wil l , my si ster, do as I have pledged to you !”

Then turning to his father , his voice hoarse withsharp agony, as i f each word were a sword - thrust inhis heart

,and with such a look

,that to the end of

their l ives they never forgot hi s face as they saw itthen , he added : I wil l go to the cel l

”

; and makingthe sign of the cross

,he strode from the room . In

silence father and daughter l i stened to the sound ofhis footsteps dying away along the corridors .

CHAPTER II .

A BL OOD - S TA INE D ME S S E NGE R .

I N the grey dawn of the fol lowing morning, thesentry

,pacing before the north- east gate of the city ,

obse rved the figure of a man approaching . On d i sembarking from a canoe , he bade ad ieu , apparen tlywith some reluctance, to an Indian who hadpaddled him down the river from some point on the

Opposite shore . A s he neared the fort which defended that part of the town

,his disordered appear

ance and evidence of haste brought the sentry to ahalt, and with levelled rifle he challenged :Stand ! Who goes there ?”A friend

, who has important tidings for theGovernor, whom I have urgent need to see with allspeed ,

” was the answer .What i s your business with His Excellency

,and

your name and rank ?” was sharply interrogated bythe sentinel , who saw

,as the man came from the

dusk of the early morning into the l ight,which sti ll

shone from the barred window of the guard - house,

the figure of an officer . His features and condit ion'

gave proof of hi s having come through some exper ience o f thri ll ing excitement

,and the man looked

sharply at him as he repli ed“My name is Fraser

,my rank a l i eutenant in

His Maj esty’s Seventh Regiment of Foot , —mybusiness concerns matters of grave moment to the

2 8

A BLOOD - STAINED MESSENGER 2 9

affai rs of thi s Province,and which I would lay

before His Excellency without delay .

”

The guard suspic iously scrut inized the speakerexamining closely hi s uni form and emblems of mil itary rank

,and finding the mud—bespattered and torn

garments to be those of the Brit i sh army , with thedecorations of one holding rank therein

,he saluted

and lowering his rifle,answered :

Enter,Lieuten ant Fraser, and all

’s wel l .The heavily - riveted oaken door swung slow lv

open,and the newcomer entered the fortress

, and

seeking the offi cer in charge , desired that an orderlybe detailed to conduct him to official headquarters .The fort , from which he and hi s guide then emerged ,was a primit ive structure

,pi erced by narrow grat ed

windows,defended by small pieces of cannon

,and

had been modeled after the plan of the old fortificat ions of mediaeval France . The Briti sh colors werefloating above it

,where but a few years before had

flown the white and blue standard of the proudBourbons .The l i ttl e town of Montreal

,in the gl i sten ing

morning sunl ight,lay sti l l asleep

,feel ing secure in

the wal l s that surrounded it,although a host il e army

threatened them . A narrow street ran due westfrom the fort , on either s ide of which were dwel l inghouses in the quaint architecture of Normandy andBrittany . The peaked tin roofs sloped gracefullyto the eaves , their uni formity broken by rows ofpicturesque dormer windows

,the gables ending in

ample chimneys . A s was usual in a fortified town .

the houses were buil t close together,the windows

being furnished with heavy i ron shutters and bolts

30 CROSSED SWORDS

and bars . The street, which the two men traversedin s ilence

,had been call ed by the pious Jesuit

Fathers,Rue de Notre Dame, or Street of Our

Lady,

” a name which had been the battle—cry ofNorman warriors s ince before Duke Will iam seizedthe crown of Edward , the Saint- King of SaxonEngland . They encountered no one on the wayexcept a night watchman

,or an occasiOnal habi tant,

smoking h is short clay pipe and cracking theleathern thong of his whip as he j ogged to marketon his load of hay or wood , gay in brightly coloredsash and tuque and pointed capuchin, woven by hisown fireside . The stil lness of the early morningwas broken by the tinkle of a bel l cal l ing to matins ,which was answered by a s i lvery chime from the

clock over the monastery of the St . Sulpice Fathers ,whose white dial had set the time to the town sincethe days of La Sal le , a hundred years before . Thestroke of the hour of five had scarce d ied away whenthe corporal announced their arrival at the ir destinat ion , as they turned into the ma in entrance of theGovernor ’ s mansion

,a long, low ,

white - walled building, sti l l known as the Chateau de R amezay, fromthe name of the French noble who had buil t i t somesixty years before .A sleepy lackey answering the summon s , opened

the door, and as he asked : What can I do for ye ,sir ?

” he glanced uneasi ly at the dark bloodstainswhich deepen ed the red of the mil i tary scarf withwhich the right arm of the officer was bound .

Inform Governor Carleton that a sold ier in theBrit i sh service seeks speech with him on a matterof vital import, and tel l H is Excel lency that i t i s a

A BLOOD - STAINED MESSENGER 3 1

case the considerat ion of which wil l admit o f asl i ttle delay as i s poss ible with His Excellency

’

s conv en ience and comfort .A s the messenger retired , bowing, the strangersank into a chair to gain a few moments

’ rest afterhis forced j ourney and fast of the night before . Atthe sound of approaching footsteps and the entranceo f a handsome

,mil ita ry—looking man

,he arose and

saluted,knowing he was in the presence of S ir Guy

Carleton,the Commander- in—Chief of the forces in

Canada,and the representat ive in the colony of H i s

Maj esty,King George .

S ir Guy looked keenly at the stranger,his brow

clouding as he perceived the evident marks of recentconfl i ct and apparent fl ight .

To whom have I the honor of speaking ?” heinquired brusquely

,and what are the circumstances

which bring one wearing the king’s coat hither insuch a pl ight ?”

I am,Your Excellency

,Malcolm Fraser

,of the

Seventh Foot ; one of the command of Fort St .Johns , which , i t i s my unhappy fortune to be com

pelled to report , has been reduced by the Americanforces under Montgomery

,into whose hands i t has

fallen ,”was the reluctant reply .

Taking a s eat and motioning hi s informant to dol ikewise , the commander , giving no s ign of the emo

tions of regret and humil iation which fil led his breastat the defeat o f the garri son holding that importantpost , asked quietly :What are the detai l s o f the di saster ? Be

Cxpl icit .”

Leaning hi s head upon hi s hand,he l i stened

3 2 CROSSED SWORDS

moodily to the recital as hi s vi sitor continued ters elyand with undisguised mortification :

Our force,as Your Excellen cy is aware , was

only about four hundred strong, with the additionof one hundred Indians . Early in S eptember wereceived intel l igence of the approach of the enemy .

Appearing duly in sight,they landed on the west

bank of the Richel i eu,about two miles distant, and

at once took up march toward our outworks .Immediate preparat ions were commenced to res i stthe attack

,and when within range we opened fire

upon them,but with l ittl e apparent effect . After

consuming considerable time in ski rmi shing andvarious manoeuvres , the surrender of the fort - was

demanded,our signal o f compl iance to be the blank

discharge of a cannon . I need not inform YourExcellency that thi s was peremptori ly refused .

Again a flag was sent with a written order for ourcapitulation and the avoidance of a needles s effusionof blood . Aware that efforts w ere here be ingmade to come to our succor, we requi red thatfour days be given us for consideration . Thisbeing deni ed

,and the attack renewed

,after a

resistance which had lasted fifty days,we Were

forced to comply with their st ipulat ions,—that we

march out with the honors of war and ground our

arms on the plain near by . The perfid ious Ind ianshad deserted us some time before . Goaded to des

peration at the thought of my country’s flag fall ing

thus easily into the hands of the invading rebels,I

made a lunge at the first bluecoat who offered to layhands upon it

,but a sharp thrust from his broad

sword striking my arm,I lost my balance and fell

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34 CROSSED SWORDS

begged Fraser,rising to fol low the serv ant ; ti s

but a flesh scratch,for which a few days ’ rest and

care are all that are needed ; but for the refreshment I shall have honest welcome , as my last mealwas but a scant one

,some twelve hours since

,in

the lodge of an Indian known to my guide .The wound itsel f had no serious aspects , but thefasting

,night exposure and tardiness in obtaining

needful tendance,brought on a fever, which for

some days rendered Malcolm Fraser obl ivious topassing events . When sufficiently recovered toappear in the official apartments

,he found a general

ai r of unrest apparent . Withdrawing with h im toan ante - room

,S ir Guy informed him that i t had

been learned from the most rel iabl e sources that theAmerican troops were advancing toward the city ,and i f not detained , as they had hitherto been, byrains and impassable roads

,might be expected

within a few days ’ time . With a frown and lookof extreme disquietude

,as of one who feared that

his sh ield of honor was about to be tarn i shed , headded in a voice deep with the intensi ty of pain fulyet suppressed feel ing '

It has been decided by counci l of war,that i t I S

of the utm ost importance that my person shouldnot fal l into the hands of the enemy . It has

,there

fore, been urged upon me , much against my personalwishes, that I make a determined attempt to leavethis point and reach Quebec

,and there make a fim i

and what i s hoped wil l be a successful stand for thesaving of our country . With a consideration ofthe extreme weakness of thi s p lace

,I cannot deny

the wisdom of the conclus ion . Aware of the im

A BLOO‘D - STAINED MESSENGER 35

possibi l ity of obtaining assistance from Brita in or

the armies under Gage and Howe,I must perforce

waive personal feel ings at the indignity of the courseproposed

,and acquiesce .”

When does Your Excel lency purpose taking th ismost unwelcome step ?” Fraser inquired respectfully .

“ Being an absolute necess ity from the exigenciesof the situation

,I take i t i t cannot in the least

degree cause reflection on your honor or valor .All is ready to embark at a moment ’ s warning,

was the gloomy reply .

May I be informed what are the intended arrangements for the proposed venture

,S ir Guy ?”

again asked the ofli cer , with increas ing seriousness .“ Your late services

,Fraser

,entitl e you to my

fullest confidence , but it i s deemed expedient thatonly those who wil l form my escort be put in possession of the time

,place and manner of the proj ected

fl ight—for fl ight,he cont inued

,bitterly

,however

disguised in pol ite phrase,i t must be cal led .

”

That precaution need not preclude my beingcognizant of them ,

” was the hearty rej oinder . I fI may be permitted the glory of sharing the dangerswhich threaten Your Exce l lency

,and menace the

sovereignty o f my king in th is land,I wil l gladly

form one of your body—guard , i f I may be so

honored .

”

Wringing his hand , S ir Guy , with an emotion hecould scarce control

,exclaimed :

With men of such spirit under my command,our

k ing need have no concern for hi s royal supremacyin these provinces . I have affairs of moment toarrange and letters to write which are necessary in

36 CROSSED SWORDS

the contingency of my never reaching Quebec,which

i s among the possib il it i es , nay, rather I may say,probabi l ities ; as the chances are one to a hundredof “our being able to successfully pass down the r iver

,

along the shores of which , for fi fty miles,are

bivouacked the troops of the enem y, thei r batteri escommanding the situation .

CHAPTER III .

VOWS

ON the evening of the double b irthday, in Spite ofthe portents of war, and the shadow of the monk

’scel l over the young l i fe of Leon

,the Chateau de

L ér ie, with fires aglow in salon and lady’s chamber,was en féte for i ts cel ebration with dance and feast .The l ights from clusters of candles threw soft beamsover the walls of the old reception- rooms

,and a

w gleam of cheer and welcome through every- pane ; reflecting on the pol ished brasses of

ns and sconces unti l they seemed to be almostin themselves . Garlands of green hemlockthe woods wreathed pil lar and cornice , entw inhe flags of England and France as peaceas i f those who served under them had neverswords or drenched them with each other-s’

e the wa inscot ing hung portra its of daintyd and powdered ladies

,and bewigged

,lace

gallants , ancestors o f the de L ér ies, who hadthei r time figured in many a bal masqué and roya lto of the queens of France .In one Of the court dames there was a striking

ance in feature and expression to Therese , al

gh there was lacking in the girl’ s face a certa in

of craft and cruelty which hardened the otherdark beauty of Jacquel ine, Comtesse de St .

37

38 CROSSED SWORDS

Leger,a great- aunt of Madame de L ér ie. She had

been in the train of the arch - plotter, Catherine deMedici

,and according to some mysterious family

legends,i t was suspected that she had been her

accompl ice in more than one court intrigue andtragedy . Her skirt o f black and gold with bands ofembroidery

,and doublet of white and s ilver t issue

with large j ewelled buttons, were the del ight anddespair of Therese

,whose ambition centered in one

day being wedded to a French noble, and robed l ikeher whose picture might have been taken for herown.

Upon the floors,pol i shed to the gloss of satinwood ,

were reflected the rich velvets and Old - time ruffs andlaces of the portraits

,with the sheen from satin and

s ilk of the gathering guests . For those whose bentlay toward play and games o f hazard , spindle- leggedcard - tables were di sposed in convenient recesses

,and

for the ease and comfort of the dancers , there werestiff- backed chairs , upholstered in damask s ilks in thetaste of du Barry or the Pompadour

, or in tapestri es wrought in days gone by

,by the needles of the

de L ér ie ladies in the turret - chambers of the chateaucastles of old France .Toward midnight

,to the rhythm of merry fid

d ling , the dancing was at its gayest, as l ight—footed,and apparently without a thought of care, as i f themorrow held no ominous uncertainties . In therooms , fil led with grace and beauty, the eyes ofyoung dancers rivaled in brightness the gems ofstately maternal dames

, who, s itting aroundwalls , exchanged p leasantries and the latest bitsgossip of the town . Watchful and . wise

,after

VOWS 39

manner of discreet and prudent matrons , they sat

in the enj oymen t of thei r well—bred digni ty , bowinggraciously to each new arrival, more especially theel igibles

,complacen t ly aware of thei r own mature

charms . They discussed confidentially the weddingsand betrothals of the past year and the

'

mar r iages

in prospect,in every item

,from the color and tex

ture of the gowns to the number and qual ity of thel inen sheets and other furni shings that the mother ofthe last l i ttl e fiancée had stored away in great dowerchests for the bridal . As the subj ect warmed , aidedby some good port

,which had mellowed among the

cobwebs of the cel lars s ince the natal day of theyoung host and hostess , to be decanted on that occasion, they whi spered choice bits o f news and evenscandal from the French and Engl ish Courts .Madame de L ér ie, turning to her neighbor and

intimate fri end, who sat upon her right , and wishing

to engage her in conversation , said :“ Dear Madame Davenant,

’t i s said the youngqueen

,Marie Antoinette , i s exceeding fond o f gaiety

and display ; as i s only right , I say, in one so youngand beauti ful . She i s but four years older than mylittle Therese, and surely no one would look for wisdom or discretion in that s i l ly ch ild over yonder . I ,for one

,can see naught amiss in her love for dress

and the Court’ s gay doings,with scarce a year gone

by s ince her crown ing . The king i s otherwiseminded , so I hear, and s its but i l l at ease upon histhrone , lamenting that he was born to wear a crown .

That i s to be deplored , as our gay France i s fond ofroyal pageantry and loves not a cloister—court

,or

monk upon the throne ; but’ t is said that at last he

40 CROSSED SWORDS

loves so well his queen that he can deny her naughtthat She desires .Pardon me

,Madame

,i f I venture to say that

such a case of domestic fel ic ity and fidel ity i s somewhat novel in the royal palaces of France . I trustthe dis favor of certain cl iques in Paris , of which wehave heard

,omens no evi l fortune for your sweet

queen ; for even a crown does not always sav e ahead

,as i t avai led naught for our Stuart king, who ,

ye remember,was wedded to your Princess Henri

etta of Navarre,” was the rej oinder .

“Who can tel l ?” was the answer ; for alreadythere are enemies at Court who

,as you say

,speak i ll

th ings of our queen to her hurt ; her innocent fol l iesseeming to please as l i ttl e as her lord ’s uncourtlymanners and stiff, unprincely ways .With a glance around

,and lowered voice, Mis

tress Davenant than whispered behind her fan :I too have news by the last post from my cousin

,

who ye know is Maid—of—Honor to Queen Charlotte .She hints that her Maj esty bears much anxietyregard ing the health of King George

,who is

subj ect to strange mental whims, which give graveconcern to his ministers and the peers of the realm .

My cousin too has a grievance of her own . I t hasbeen a matter of private merriment among the ladiesof the Household

,that her Maj esty should di splay

so extreme a passion for col lecting gems and wearingj ewels , and yet she has decreed that the women of

the Court appear no more in the enormous headdresses which are all the vogue .Well , I most certainly approve your good

queen ’s sense and taste,for these stiff hoops and

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42 CROSSED SWORDS

ered vest and gold buckles on his shoes and at theknee

,his gay att i re i l l suited the gravi ty of his de

portment and looks . As Phyll i s moved by his s ide,his face wore an expression that She could not understand

,and throughout the evening hi s conduct had

seemed strange and unaccountable to her . He wasmoody and restless

,at t imes appearing to avoid her,

now talking excitedly in loud gaiety, and anon becoming silent and taciturn . Remembering that hehad seemed actually forgetful that he was pledgedto her for th i s dance

,she had greeted him with a

pretty pout,saying, in quaint d ispl easure, as she

swept him a mocking curtseyA gallant courtier ye would make

,Leon

, to be

so recreant in claiming a damsel’s favor !

What matters i t ? Courts and fai r damsel s arenot for me !” he ej aculated so sharply that , offended ,she remained s i lent .When the figure was ended

,with a formal bow

he seated her, and with seeming indifference passedon to j oin Therese

, who was coquetting with herpartner in another part of the room . Phy l l i s, al

though for a moment piqued,was also partly amused

at hi s unwonted seriousness and apparen tly causeless tragic manner ; and with a touch

'

of the dawning m -

ai denly desire to test her power , at the firstOpportunity she sl ipped out of the nearest doorwayand hastening along the corridor leading to the picture - gallery, hid behind an inlaid cabinet , in whichthe Marquise de Vaudreui l had kept her newfangled Sevres ch ina . Wilful in her w ish

'

to punishhim , yet ready to laugh and forgive at the first s ignof contrit ion ; running away from him,

yet hOping

VOWS 43

he would seek her, she waited with mood as changeful as the moon fleoking the floor with diamonds ofl ight

,as its beams streamed through the many- paned

windows .Soon, in the l ights and shadows , she descri ed him

searching among the pillars , and knew he had missedher . Palpitating with mischie f, her mouth quivering with a gay

,breathl ess laugh

,she was forced to

press her handkerchief over her l ips lest she betrayher hiding—place . At length , as in hi s haste hes tumbled against a chair

, she was unable longer torestrain her mirth, and a ripple of the sweetestlaughter

,with a flutter of her white dress, revealed

her whereabouts .In a moment he was by her side , and had her in h is

arms,whi le words of burning passion flowed out so

impetuously that her l ight laughter died away intoa cry of mingled fear and surpri se , as, struggl ing,she exclaimedLeon . de L ér ie, ye have no right thus to do

Release me at once or I wil l cal l for help !”

Instantly his arms fel l by hi s s ide,and

,white and

faint, she sank into the nearest wind ow—seat . L ooking down upon her

,his young face drawn and grey

in the spectral moonlight, he sa id , brokenly“ Yes

,Phyll i s , my darl ing, I let you go,

but Imust speak ! I lav e you ! I have loved you eversince I have known what love i s . I cannot remember the time when you were not the idol of my boyi sh heart . I could ever bear anything

,dare any

thing for your sake . Once'

in our ch ildhood,when

I fel l brui sed and bleeding from yon tree, striving toreach a red - cheeked apple you had fancied

,I felt the

44 CROSSED SWORDS

pain no more, when you kissed me with l ittle, tenderl ips

,and cried bitterly over my hurt . Now I am

a man,and my love is but the stronger

,my Phyll i s .

In the church the p ictured saints and angels haveever seemed less fa ir to me than you are ; and in myprayers

,as I behold our blessed Vi rgin, methinks I

see your eyes in hers . I have l ived al l my l i fe withno thought of the future but with you, my love . Iwould be ever brave for your sake—good , that Imight the better mate with you—and rich that Imight the easier give you happiness—but now —hestopped , and with voice choked in a sob, buried hisconvuls ively- working face in hi s hands ; the tear s ofa man’s deep agony fall ing through his fingers as hefel l on his knees at her feetIn a moment

,with al l traces of trifl ing and chiding

fled,and conscious in her tender pity of a deep affec

t ion for the boy who had playfully tormented and

manfully defended her with dash and vigor al l theirl ives , the gir l bent over h im ,

as the color slowly re

turned to cheek and l ip,saying gently :

Dearest Leon, there i s no need for grief . I f, asyou say, you love me, all may yet be well . Of atruth I have not thought of a love for me other thanthat you bear our dear Therese ; but give me timeto look deep down into my heart

,and '

perchance Imay find love i s there

, or some foreshadowing of

it ; for I fain would ease thi s sorrow .

”

W i th a groan, as i f his soul were rent in twain ,he raised h is head , started to h is feet, and recoi ledshrinking from her arms

,which at the sight of hi s

tears she had thrown around him as in thei r childish days

,crying :

v ows 45

Oh,mom D ieu l—unclasp your arms , thei r soft

touch doth madden me,sending my blood l ike molten

l ead coursing to my heart , to scorch and blast it !But

,Leon

,have I not said that though I may

not love you now,I wil l strive to

,as perhaps ’t i s un

maidenly to do,” was the faint reply .

“ Tell me you will never love me !” he cried .

Scorn me —flee me -

’Twere better thus , thengladly and with true heart can I take my vows andbury under monkish cowl my i l l—starred love , and inunceasing vigi ls

,prayers and scourgings tear my

idol from its throneAt the vehemence of his words and strangenessof his manner

,something of her fear returned .

Leon,speak not so wildly,

”she sa id sooth ingly ,

el se I shal l think something hath turned yourbrain . Close s tudy and too hard striving with dryLatin them es

,or mayhap the austere piety of the

good fathers,has filled your head , I fear , with

fancies that are quite unreal . ”

Clasping her to him again in uncontrolled agitation

,with burning kisses on brow

,l ip and cheek , he

muttered hoarsely“No, I swear, I cannot , wil l not, v ow to aught

save you, my own , my bride !” Then suddenly

clutching his brow between hi s - hand s, . he s taggeredback and pushing her almost rudely from him sob

bed : “Alas ! I am vowed to the Church . But th i smorn my parents have made known to me , that erethe waning of yon moon , now l imning you l ike asaint in heavenly l ight

,I go to my novit iate in the

Jesuit order of monks !”

With a cry, her face whiten ed with horror, the

46 CROSSED SWORDS

girl i sh figure,in its si lks and laces , shrank back

appal led,as she comprehended his words . With

face buried in her hands, she cr ied out piteously :Oh

,Leon

,dear Leon

,thi s must not be !” and he,

with heart a- throbbing with agony,and not daring

to touch even her hand with his own , besought herin a low ,

unnatural voice :Phyll i s

,fer the love of Heaven do not weep

so, or , I swear, in yonder river I wil l drown myselfand my misery !”

Seeing that at hi s words she strove to controlherself

,he suddenly turned , and , leaving her, strode

away,frightening trim Lizette

,ca rrying a tray of

glasses,almost into hysterics at the s ight of his stern ,

agonized features . With the gay ribands flutteringwith fear over her beating heart, and dropping a

hurried l ittle curtsey,she asked t imidly

W i l l Monsi eur have some wine ?”

Seizing the goblet she offered h im,he drained it

at a single draught,and regaining by a strong effort

hi s customary mien , returned it, saying :“M erci

,Lizette .”

‘As he re- entered the salon he saw,in conversa

tion with his mother and Mistress Davenant , CaptainBasi l Temple , of His Maj esty’s frigate the Vulture

, wintering at Quebec . Joining them ,he leaned

in s ilence against the wainscot ing. With arms foldedacross hi s breast, he stood moodily, apparen tlywatching the dancing

,but in real ity j ealously l i sten

ing to the voice of a man whom he had seen regardPhyll i s with eyes which told hi s heart ’s secret

,that

he too loved her with the depth and rapture of a trueand honest affect ion .

VOWS 47

Ye have recently a rr ived from Quebec, Mistress Davenant was saying. Pray, Captain, tellus what i s the state of things there . I s there to beanother s i ege ? My heart quakes at the verythought l”

“Ah,Capta in

,s ighed Madame de L ér ie, I

was in that unhappy town when i t was attacked byyour General Wol fe . Ah , me ! I shudder yet tothink upon it—the roar of the guns sti l l sounds inmy ears—the hurr ied tramp

,tramp of the sold iers,

I think I hear i t sti l l ! Never can I forget the weeping and wringing of hands as they bore the nobleMontcalm wounded off the field

,and my dear

brother,Tancred—brave as that Red - Cross Knight

whose name he bore —home to us , dead . Alas ! i twas a cruel day for us and for France ,

” and the ladyshook her head sadly at the bitter memories .A tear dropped on her sat in fan, but waving itvigorously and using her smell ing- salts

,she turned

to him ,saying

Change the subj ect,i f you please, Monsieur , and

let us be merry for to- night,even i f the morning

should bring the cannon - bal ls rattl ing on our roofs .See my poor Leon here

,turning to her son ,

“ thedoleful tal e has made him quite d istressed . He hasthe vi sage of eighty instead of eighteen

,and on hi s

birthnight,too ,

when al l should be only wit andmerriment ; and with a laugh she resumed herusual l ight - hearted manner and address .She was a strik ingly handsome dame in her r ich

velvets and j ewe led stomacher,with a charming

grace and pol i shed speech , learned in the courtly circles of—Paris , where in her maidenhood she spent

48 CROSSED SWORDS

several years in the household of her grandmother,

the Marquise de St . Leger . In her salon she metthe handsome young Monsieur de L ér ie, with whomshe fel l in love , and notwithstanding more ambitiousplans of her family, wedded .

Captain Temple,though restless at the absence of

Phyl l i s,whom he had seen leave the room

,l i stened

with pol ite attent ion to Madame’s efforts to turn theconversation into l ivel i er channel s by recountingsome of the remin iscences of her early days . A l

though a matron of almost forty years,she sti ll

l oved to recal l to attent ive ears the conquests andlove affai rs of her youth . Not perceiving his dividedattention

,she proceeded to tel l with vivacity and

rel i sh of a royal duke’ s mad infatuation for her asMademoisell e S t . Leger ; of the duel s which hadbeen fought for the favor of her smil e ; and with oneof her old , coquetti sh glances , hinted that it had beeneven whispered at Court , that the queen was j ealousof L a Belle Canad i enne

,as she was ca l led .

Does Madame regret the loss of al l th i s , heasked

,and lament the banishment from the bri l

l iant l i fe of the Palais R oyal for a provincial home ,and the comparat ive rudeness of l i fe in a Canadianforest

“Ah

,no

,Captain

,not for a moment . I loved my

Louis , and none of these th ings weighed with me‘

as much as would a son against the Crown j ewels ,so that I were by his s ide !”

Ah , mother, exclaimed Leon,a dark flush

mounting to hi s brow as he heard her last words,would you not then counsel your son in l ike case

to choose love above al l else ?”

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50 CROSSED SWORDS

other companionships . With his noble kinsmen inFrance

,and some family interest at the Vatican , we

are not without hope that some day the red hat ofthe Cardinal may rest upon our boy’ s fine browWith the keen ins ight which love ever gives

,Basil

Temple had from the first read Leon ’s passion in hisevery act and look . Knowing they craved the samewoman ’s heart

,as he marked her affectionate int i

macy with the handsome boy, he had felt the bitterness of looking into happiness through anotherman ’s eyes . The dialogue between the mo ther andson ,

to which he had,without intention

,become a

li stener,sent a great flood of hope and joy puls ing

through hi s heart . Something in the l i stlessnesswith which Phyll i s sank into the chai r he offered her

,

and a certain sweet pathos in her face, which wasmore alluring than even her usual sunny bri ll ianceof manner

,impelled him to say , as with deference

and tender gallantry he bent over her,his lips al

most touching the fragrant,golden hair

L et me,I pray , take you from the heat and

fatigue of the ball - room . A sailor loves the water,

and methinks a glance at it under this beauti fulmoon would be grateful . ”

Glad of an opportunity to escape the necess ityexplaining to the sharp maternal eyes the reasof her pallor

,she gratefully accepted his arm

,

warm blood surging to his heart at the touch ofsoft hand . As they passed out from the throng

,

i ts satins , laces and laughter , her fai r headwards him , Madame de L ér ie askedthe mingl ing of voices and the softOver the waxed floor :

VOWS 5 1

I S th is a love affair , dear Madame ? By my wordthey would make a comely couple !”

Perhaps it may so prove , for I have thought attimes that the Captain ’ s manner meant somethingmore than friendship merely ; an

’ were i t so, I wouldnot think i l l of i t, as he

'

comes of noble blood,and

owns fai r lands in our dear England , Phyll i s’

smother repl ied ; and at the words her mind revertedto certa in family gems and laces h id away in casketand coffer

,that would not look amiss on so fai r a

bride .Phyll i s’ s apparent pleasure at his request . as she

rai sed her guilel ess eyes to thank him ,and her wil l

ingness to forego the dance to accompany him ,awoke

in Basi l Temple’ s soul a new—born hope . Leadingher to a curtained alcove , where the heavy tapestryfell

,separating them from the sight and hearing of

the revelers,and showed the r iver l ike a si lver floor

,

he suddenly poured into her ears hi s ardent love . as

he whi spered with some agitation :In quieter t imes I might bide with patience for

some assurance that you look with favor upon meere I spoke , but at any moment I may be forced toheed the cal l of duty

,and j oin my ship at Quebec .

With al l the grim possibi l i ti es and uncertainti es thatmenace us . I must l i sten to my heart

’s cal l and tell

you now ,while I may ,

that I love youSeeing from the color that flew to her cheeks that

she was startled and surpri sed at the sudden impetuosity of his speech and manner , he took her hand .

coming hastily , as he protested earnestly :r pure stars have witnes sed many a lovenever one more worthy woman ’s taking

52 CROSSED SWORDS

than thi s I pl ight,i f devotion

,l i fe - long loyalty

and undying service to her l ightest wish ‘ beaught of worth . Never be fore thi s night hasword of love to woman passed my l ips , andI am unused to tr ick of speech and honeyedwords in which to pay my court . It i s a bluffsai lor’s love

,proffered in a rough sai lor’s way

,

but Brit i sh seamen’

s hearts are hearts of oak ,”

and pressing her slender hand between hi s own

strong ones,he continued vehemently : “ Twere

easier for this tender hand to rend yonder gnarl edtree from its grasp of earth , than for me to tear yourimage from my heart . I can offer you,

my l ittle love,

a name upon which no man can throw a shadow of

dishonor,and a fa ir

,sweet Engl ish home

,among

the rose - hedges of beauti ful Kent,where my fore

fathers have dwelt s ince Harold rode to HastingsField

,and which needs only you ,

my pure Eve , tomake it Parad i se .

”

Beneath the girl ’ s young,innocent maidenhood

was the honesty of true womanl iness,which desp i ses

al l forms of dupl icity and heartless coquetry . Witha tearful seriousness dimming her usually serenej oyousness of S p i ri t

,she interrupted him

,endeavor

ing to withdraw her hand,as with di stressed and

frightened face rai sed to his She saidCapta in Temple

,I am only a simple girl

,un

versed in the great passions,which

,I have heard ,

move men and women to happiness or misery,but I

feel something of the wo rth of a true man ’ s love ,so will not by coy dallying coquet with your heart .It were more kindly far to tel l you now that this youask

,I fear can never be .

VOWS 53

I must say you nay, but trust me , there are morehapless fates than yours

,whose love, though un

requited,i s no mortal s in . I am not without grati

tude that thus ye honor me,but I must pray you for

thi s same love ’ s sake,that you do not urge me

more .

”

With face ashen white under hi s sailor bronze,and a break in h i s voice

,he sa id

,the words coming

with diffi culty’

T is bitter,this d eath sentence to my love — but

a breaking heart must needs be borne with a man ’ scourage—and be sure that you will ever be to methe fairest

,sweetest thing this wide world holds !”

Li fting her trembl ing hands,and pressing them

unresi sted to his l ips,he led her back to the salon

and mingl ing with some of the departing guests,

passed out into the quiet o f the starl it street . A fewrods from the threshold

,a man

,whom he recog

n ized as the bod y - servant of the Governor,saluted

and informed him that he was the bearer of a requestthat he report at once at headquarters . He immed iately repai red thither, and on gaining the presenceof the Commander , was surprised to fin d him fullydressed , and with evidence of having spent the nightamong the papers which were scattered around in adisorder betokening haste .

Captain Temple,he said

,I have summoned

you hither at this unusual hour,to ask that you ren

der a service which can only be required at the hand sof a brave man and an honorabl e gentl eman . It isno less than a request that ye risk your l i fe in aecompanying me in my attempt to leave thi s town duringthe coming night . ”

54 CROSSED SWORDS

Basi l Temple,looking straight into his superior’s

eyes,answered

,as he threw back his head with a

dauntless bear ing gained from twenty generations ofbrave Anglo - Saxon ances tors :Ye do me honor

,S ir Guy

,in making as a re

quest that which i s my highest duty and greatestprivilege to perform . Bel ieve me

,sir

,l i fe is not so

sweet a thing to me that I deem it aught bes ide thecal l of my country . Laying his hand upon hissword - hilt

,he declared : I hereby pledge my word ,

on the honor of an Englishman,and a sai lor who

has seen service with those to whom thi s land i sunder tribute of gratitude , that my l ife shall stand’ twixt yours and harm . Think ye that Basi l Temple

, who sealed the heights with Wolfe , and sharedhis r isk to place our flag above them

,will not face

any odd s to keep it thereN0 further words were spoken or questions asked ,

but the two men exchanged looks of trust,in the

unspoken tenderness which can find no warmer expression of feel ing between men of the undemonstra

t ive natures of their race ; but they understood thatit was a pact which only death would break . S eatedside by s ide , the plan of escape was given in itsminutest detail s

,and as dayl ight shone in through

the crevices o f the shutters,they separated to occupy

the hours ti l l nightfal l in needful preparat ions,which

were to be kept secret from al l except those whowere to assist in them

,or to form the vice - regal

escort .A trustworthy boatman

,whose devotion and

fid el ity were unquestioned,was to undertake the

conduct of the expedition . He was a v oyageur of a

VOWS 55

race of coureurs—da - bols,who had padd led the

streams and trodden the forest paths of the Northsince the days of Verand rye . A hundred years ofroving l i fe in the woods and on the waters had madethe family as wary

,alert and keen as the Indians

with whom they were so closely associated , and fromwhom they had learned ski l l in wood - craft and thesecret of the trail . His great—grandsire had followedthe ardent explorer

,the Cheval ier de La Salle, to the

banks of the Missi ssipp i and there saw him fall bya comrade ’s hand . Having refused to be a party tothe mutinous and murderous work , he fled throughthe uncharted wilde rness to the great lakes andVi l le Mari e , as Montreal was called in those earlydays .Deserting her home and people , a beauti ful youngsavage followed him to civi l ization

,and became h is

wife,according to a custom which was common be

tween the traders and trappers of New France andthe native tribes .With that far—away strain of Ind ian blood in hi sveins

,the risk and romance of the expedition cap

fured Bi ssette’s fancy, and he wil l ingly and hopefully assured the Governor that hi s craftiness wouldbe more than a match for the most cunning Contineutal who ever wore blue - and - buff .It was deemed inexpedi ent to use any vessel intransport which would be conspicuous enough toattract the attent ion of the enemy

,and the amount

of provis ions would,of necess ity

,have to be ex

ceed ingly l imited . To attempt to traverse a di stanceof one hundred and eighty miles in small open boatsin the bleak month of November

,without protection

56 CROSSED SWORDS

for the night,with the possibil ity of the severity of

the Canadian winter ’s sett ing in at any hour , uponmen unused to meet exposure

,was a prospect which

might daunt the bravest ; but the greater the ri skand need of endurance of hardship , the higher Bissette

’

s spi ri ts rose . As soon as the proj ect was confided to him ,

he had sent a trusty mess enger toCaughnawaga

,an Indian village on the south s ide

of the river , to tel l an Iroquois , known outside h istr ibe as Young Moose ,

” that the Great Father atMontreal

,Chief Carleton

,required his help .

A few months before,Young Moose had been

found wandering about the streets o f the town ,in a

half - demented cond ition,with symptoms upon him of

some impending malady . He was placed in shelter ,and when it was found that he was suffering fromthe scourge of the red man—smallpOX

A by the humane order of General Carleton , he was given thesame care and treatment which would have beenaccorded to one of hi s own soldiers , had he beenthe vict im . The result was the undying gratitudeof the savage

,who would

,i f needful

,have gone to

the stake for his benefactor . Bissette,knowing that

hi s untutored instincts would be of the utmost ser ~

vice in the navigation of the river,resolved to trust

to his savage sense of honor,and enl i st him in the

cause . Everything being ready,as well as haste

and ci rcumstances permitted,with as l ittle appear

ance of unusual preparation as possibl e , shortly aftersundown a few boats were moored by the bank ofthe r iver

,where the gardens of the Chateau ran

down to i ts brink , and not far from the spot wheretwo hundred and fi fty years before the keel of

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58 CROSSED SWORDS

log cabin where his wife would have the home - madecandle l ighted in the four- paned window and a savory fricassée of deer m eat ready for her bonhomme

when he returned cold and hungry from his j ourney .

It was,however, no s imple St . Lawrence fisher

man,but the noble knight

,Sir Guy Carleton, Com

mander—in—Chief o f the forces of Canada, where hestood for the maj esty of the king . Despite his abhorrence at the seeming hum i l iat ion of the d isguise ,and the indignity i t suggested in thus habit ing, hehad

,with the utmost reluctance

,assumed i t : sett ing

aside his personal feel ings,i f so by his own humil ia

tion his country could be the better served . As hetook his seat in the smal l craft , with Bissette in theprow

,oars in hand

,only eyes sharpened by the

most acute susp icion could recognize him under thehomespun of the fisher - folk of the river .Next followed

,s imilarly attired , Captain Basil

Temple, Lieutenant Malcolm Fraser, and lastly, theIndian ally . The other boats were also quickly fil led

,

in each of which had been placed a scanty supply of

food and ammunit ion.

In utter s ilence,and with heads bared in spite of

the fall ing rain,the parties separated , those l eft on

land returning with s low steps and hearts fil led withmisgivings as to the fate of the adventurous l ittleband , upon whose wisdom and discretion the futureof the king’s Canadian dominions hung. As theboats moved clear of the landing

,for the better de

ception of any stray onlooker Bissette broke out intoa few l ines o f a famil iar song

,which had been sung

for a hundred years and more by the boatmen andhunters of the r ivers and forests

,from Labrador to

the foothi ll s of the Rockies .

VOWS 59

Where they had stood a few minutes before , a

figure of a man loomed up , who, by a pecul iarity ofhis gait

,was recognized as one who was known to

have openly expressed sympathy with the R ev olu

tion i sts in the colonies . Peering through the darkness, he curiously scanned the boats and their ocenpants ; but as Bissette sang louder than before in hisusual care - free manner the wel l - known words :

R onli,roulant

,ma boule roulant

,

E n roulant,ma boule roulant,

E n roulant,ma boule

he knew it to be the vo ice and manner of the WildPigeon

,

” as B issette was called from the quicknessof hi s speech and movements

,and he shouted :

A safe voyage,Antoine —to which B issette

repl ied,as he rap idly widened the di stance between

them :

“ Thank you ,my good fr ien ’

,an r ev on' !

With arms grimly folded,S ir Guy watched the

dip of the oars,and the l ights along the Shore grow

ing fainter,as they passed between the islands which

there dotted the river ’s course . He looked wi thstern pain at the fort

,where

,but a few weeks before .

he had lodged Ethan Allan,the Green Mountain

Boy,” and from which he had sent him in irons to

an Engli sh prison,and above which

,he doubted not.

the pennant of the Revolut i on would,ere another sun

set, be waving . The swi ft current,which there

marked the river bed,assi sted the rowers in their

efforts to pass out of sight,and soon nothing but

the black sky above and the blacker waters belowsurrounded them

,the banks on e ither side being al

60 CROSSED SWORDS

most invis ible . Slowly the hours passed ; the channel narrowed and widened

,and the most critical por

t ion was reached . As they were compel led to drawnearer the shore, a l ight gleamed out over the waterappearing to move from place to place . Like al l thefisher - folk of the r iver and gul f

,Bissette was im

bued with many quaint fancies and bel i efs,which

had thei r origin in the folklore of the peasantry ofFrance . He watched the l ight with anxiety

,h i s

cheerfulness suddenly deserting him and giving waybefore his superstit ious fears .With oars poi sed , awe - struck

, he whispered , in thebroken Engl ish he had learned amon g the Brit i shsailors on the wharves :Oh

,Holy V irgin, see dat l ight— it i s le fen follet

—what you call dat in Engl ish wil l - o’- de - wisp

It was dere dat poor ! oe Gauthier drown hees’

lf las'

year . I ’m ’ fra id me— sapr isti ! —it mean no goodfor us for sure - and crossing himself devoutly .

he repeated,with voice and hands trembl ing

,a

prayer to the V i rgin : “A v e S anctissima

,ora pr o

nobis .

”

Notwithstanding his terror , he was forced to movecloser to the bank

,when an abrupt turn into a small

bay revealed a camp - fire,the l ight of which gl inting

on a bayonet,scattered his fears of the supernatural ,

as he recognized no ghostly foe,but an outpos t of

the Continental Army . By preconcerted signs,a

touch on the shoulder was passed along , and at thesignal each lay flat in the bottom of the boat

,and

Bissette and the Indian,paddl ing softly and dex~

terously with their hands , were imitated by theircompanions in danger .

VOWS 6 1

A quick challenge rang out over the water, but inthe semi - darkness

,the apparently empty canoes were

mi staken for float ing logs of timber , which fre

quently dri fted down with the stream at that seasonof the year .The night passed in cold d i scomfort

,and at last ,

towards dawn,a conference resulted in the con

clusion that an attempt must be made to land atsome po int on the north shore and find harborage .Bissette accordingly headed h is boat towards a l ittlevillage where he frequently spent his winters whenthe r iver navigation was closed .

Near the bank l ived a friend,whose guilelessness

would never think of questioning the honesty ofpurpose of any one in Antoine Bissette’s company ,and under whose roof lodg ing and shelter might befound for the hours of dayl ight

,which already

showed s igns of breaking . After an hour ’s pull hesaw the smoke of hi s fri end ’ s fire, and thoughts ofrest and comfort in the l ittl e cabin cheered the belated travelers in thei r cold

,wet garmen ts . A s they

touched land,Bissette j umped ashore , and was fol

lowed by the others as quickly as thei r st iffenedlimbs would permit . He led the way

,and was soon

presenting his fri ends to hi s good Jean Bapti ste, to

whom he explained that they would l ike to spendthe day by hi s fire

,as one of them— pointing to S ir

Guy—was too fatigued to proceed without rest . Taking his black pipe from his mouth

,Baptiste volubly

bade them welcome, and with shrugs of the shouldersand gestures of approval handed them into the warmkitchen , and drew out the home - made chai rs fortheir accommodation . Being a trapper in the employ

62 CROSSED SWORDS

of the Hudson Bay Company, he had ga ined asl ight knowledge of Engl i sh, so in a mixture of bothlanguages he exclaimed

,as he clapped his thigh :

On i,oui

,Antoine

,an ’ my good Marie will soon

have a di sh of fish steaming hot , an’ bread fit

,for

sure,for King Louis hees’lf,

” and he pointed to

a three - legged kettle on the crane from which asavory steam was escaping .

Suddenly the Indian struck an att itude of attention

,and in a few minutes the others heard a sound

from without . A rattle of arms startled B issette toh is feet

,and glancing through the window

,he saw

a party of American troops advancing to the door,who in a moment filed into the kitchen with the evident intention of bil let ing themselves for breakfast .Bissette

,with a leisurely swagger

,went up to the

chimney - corner,and giving his host a signal to be

si lent,with a rough shake on the shoulder of S ir

Guy,who had fallen fast asleep on a settle by the

hearth,he shouted to him as i f he were a comrade of

the lumber campWake up

,Pierre ! you lazy dog, let us be on the

move . Pard ieu you have snored long enough , andnow must make room for these good g enti lhommes,

who no doubt already know as wel l as we the flavorof Marie ’s good boui llon .

”

Though so suddenly and roughly roused , S ir Guyunderstood

,and entered at once into the by—play ,

and drowsily rubbing hi s eyes , hid h is features unt ilreaching the outside of the house

,where with ap

parent indifference and unconcern he fol lowed theothers to the boats . Without having had a chance totaste the food , whose savoury seasoning Sti l l l ingered

VOWS 63

on their senses,and with but a fract ion of the j our

ney performed , a heavy si lence fel l upon the party .

Two hours passed ,when the Iroquois, gr unting an

exclamat ion,pointed around a s l ight bend in the

shore,where appeared a smal l but wel l - built brig .

It was impossible to pass unobserved,so trust ing to

their disguise,they rowed alongside

,when it was

found to be manned by a Brit i sh crew,by whom

they were cheerfully received on board . A favoringbreeze springing up

,sai l s were set

,and two days

later they dropped anchor below the City on theRock . After the peri l s of the j ourney, the sight ofthe grey bast ions and strong gates lying in thegolden light of the autumn morning made i t seem to

them as veritable a ci ty of refuge as was ancientShechem to the manslayer . With cheer ful alacritythe refugees took to their boats to effect a landing .

A few hal f - drunken sailors,returning from a night ’s

carousal in Lower Town,s taggered past j ust as they

touched the shore . Elbowing what they took to be atimid fisherman

,one of them

,with a rough laugh ,

slapped the Governor famil iarly on the back,and

call ing to his companions,said °

Heigh ho ! my heart ies , here’ s a pretty lot of

lubbers coming ashore after a night ’s fishing, andnot a fin aboard . Somewhat ’s amiss here ! Heaveto

,my lads ; l et

’s search their lockers and see i f thevhave not stowed away in yonder hulk some goodtobacco of V irginia or rare old Kentucky whiskey .

That I wil l,Tom

,

” said the one nearest to thespeaker

,for i f they are t rying to hoodwink His

Maj esty,it

’

s Jack Tar’ s bounden and plain duty toconfiscate the s tuff in the name of the king . What

64 CROSSED SWORDS

do you say, my lads, to heaving the whole crew ofthem into the water

,as they did the good Briti sh tea

in the bay a t Boston town ; for by the cut of theirj ib I take them to be Yankee sp ies , or smugglers .I have an old score of my own to settl e with thewhole tr ibe

,for cuts on my back from the hand of

one of them , that I’ l l carry t il l I go to Davy

Jones ’ locker . ” In a drunk en rage at the memoryof forty lashes he had received at a whipping—post

,

he swaggered up to Fraser,and giving him a blow ,

shouted :Give an account of v ourselv es, my masters , or

by yonder rag floating from the main—topsail of thestout ship Vulture there in port

,we ’ l l hang every

man 0’ ye from the yard - arm

,or flog ye lashed to

the mast before ye can count a score . ”

One of the party landing,and among the first to

step ashore,going up to the sai lors and rai s ing his

cap,which had been drawn down over his eyes

,

revealed to their astonished gaze the captain of theVulture. The suddenness of the encounter immed iately sobered them ,

and pul l ing their forelocks,

and with an uneasy hitch at their bel ts,they looked

awkwardly at each other,expecting to be at once

sent to the lock - up and put in i rons .In a few curt words Captain Temple told them

that he was in the escort of the Governor - General ofthe Province who wished to pass unrecognized toCastl e St . Lou is on the Citadel .With zeal and heart iness they at once hastened to

assist the ti red refugees to land , and by a windingpath around the face of the cl iff led them to the fort

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66 CROSSED SWORDS

arms was dri lled,ammunition was served out, food

stored,and the town as fast as possible placed in the

state of a city prepared for a siege .In the De L ér ie mansion domest ic clouds added tothe general gloom . Therese, who usually dancedand sang about the house l ike a b ird , fl itted uneasilyfrom room to room ,

complaining to her mother thateverything was so dreary and lonely, for thrice hadshe cal led her dear Phyll i s to come and walk wi thher on the garden paths

,as the day was bright for

the season,but she ever made excuse that she had no

heart for pleasure more .

I tel l her,

” She said,that I for one refuse to be

frightened because the soldiers o f that handsomeMonsieur George Washing ton should come marching into our town . It wil l be so romantic to becapt ive l ike ladies of the olden time besieged in theircastles . At the siege of Calai s

,you must remember ,

in the time of our good King John,how the wives

and daughters besought clemency for their lordfrom the Plantagenet Prince ; so we wil l mel t ourenemies ’ hearts with our tears and beauty . Ito find that they have more sentiment and 5

than these Engl i sh officers , who are soformal in thei r manners that I am always iin thei r company . And even our own Frthey are not now l ike the cheval iers and lovers weread of in the dramas of Moliere—who thoughtthemselv es happy to be permitted to die for theirlady - loves . They forget how to court nowadays ,it seems to me , and only think of what good bargains they can make

,and seem not to remember

that a pretty girl l ikes to know that they care more

vows 67

for her favor than the price of pelts or the prospectof the crops along the river !You forget that your brother is a Frenchman ,

child l” said her mother reprovingly .

The worst of all i s that my Leon has so suddenlychanged ! Were he al ready a monk in serge andsandals

,he could not seem to be further above me

—hi s l ittle si ster—to whom now in a few days atmost he must make his adieux . I f my sil ly

,l ight

hearted ways are distas teful to one who i s about totake vows

,why should he also shun our dear Phyll i s ,

who is al l sweetness and whom we love as a si ster ?”

was the fretful complaint .“ You misjudge your brother

,Therese ; he i s

never ungentle in word or act,especial ly to women :

for he comes of a knightly,chivalrous race

,

” protested his mother with increased irritation .

Well,only this morning a fter matins in the

Church of Notre Dame,when I put m y arm in hi s,

as I have done a hundred times before,and thinking

to please him,sa id : We will go and seek Phyll i s ,

’

he suddenly drew away from me coldly and frownedso darkly that my poor heart quaked with fear . Thesacri stan , as he passed , looked strangely at us onseeing hi s di scourteous manners

,and as he heard

him mutter angri ly : ‘

Vade retro,S atanas !

’ which Ifind to be the Latin for Get thee behind me . Satan .

’

Why he should l iken me to the devi l,who do try to

say my aoes regularly, fast on holy days , and forpenance wore all la st week my darkest clothes

,

when I so love gay petticoats and bright bow—knots ,i s past my understanding ! Ah ! the world seemssadly out of j oint !” she exclaimed

,sighing discon

tented ly.

CROSSED SWORDS

’Twas that your brother would have you remember that ’

tis not fitt ing that one vowed to cel ibacyshould seek a woman ’ s companionship ; and never t il lthis moment have I real ized that our l ittl e Phyl l isis no longer a child . But i f the manners of ourcompatriots appear so brusque to you , what may welook for from these men of this New England , as

they cal l i t ; whose s ires , many of them , were so

straight- laced that even so much as smil ing on theSundays

,hearkening to a song - bird , or smell ing of

a flower on the way to worship,was deemed a

mortal s in . Their sol emn visages,too

,were in

proper keeping with thei r sad—hued garments ; themen in hats l ike sugar - loaves

,with doublets of

coarse brown cloth,thei r only extravagance of

fashion being broad,white l inen collars ; and the

women,in their dove—colored gowns and plain caps

,

in no wise l ivel i er than they . I have been told thatev en thei r sailors

,who are not always apt to remem

ber their l i tanies when out of sight of thesteeples

,changed their morning and evening

by the singing of hymns and psalm - tunes .thei r bare meeting- houses and solemn feasts

,

different kind of folk were they,rebel s eve

again st thei r king,to the loyal

,courtly

who first settled th is land . Coming h iththe worldly gaieti es of the caval iers of CharlesStuart ’s court

,they were in a sense banished

,and

in no wise l ike de Champlain,de Frontenac , and

other cheval iers who sai l ed from our dear Francewith the great Bourbon seals upon thei r commissions !

”

remonstrated Madame de L ér ie, with something of scorn .

VOWS 69

This might all be even as you say, but’ t i s said,

too,that many of these Colonial s boast o f their

descent from those same caval iers of merry KingCharles ’s t ime

,who left the court for the forests o f

Vi rginia ; driven across the sea for love and serviceof their king . They are a race of brave and gallantgentlemen

,and not by any means commonplace

planters and traders . They drive in great coaches,drawn by four or six horses , and l ive in lordlyfashion

,ordering their households and estates in

thei r southern lowlands l ike those of thei r gentleancestry .

”

“ And now that I think of i t,she continued ,

our own de Champlain,although an Indian

fighter, was almost as much a relig i eux as the Puritans themselves . In his day Quebec

,they say, was

a Shrine,and instead of ordinary converse about

hunting and conquest and toasting pretty women,

histor ies of the martyrs and l ives o f the sa ints wereread around

'

at his table , as in a monk’s refectory ,

the chape l bel l r inging from morning unti l night .Whatever they may do in that prim Boston town

,I

have heard that the Vi rginians at least dance withgrace and skil l

,and dress l ike gentle folk ; and thi s

Washington ,‘t i s said

,i s more a king than many

who have worn a crown . I remember to have heardit said that my father fought hand to hand with h imon the sore field at Fort du Quesne

,when the Briti sh

prisoners vowed that,though the victory lay with

us, i f that stupid General B raddock had taken counselwith Colonel Washington

,the young Vi rginian

under him, the day would have fal len out otherwisethan it d id . Throwing back her curl s from her

70 CROSSED SWORDS

flushed face, she added , hotly

' I would hi s troopswere even now knocking at our gates !”

Ah ! traitor child , would you have an al ienflag float o’

er our city walls ?” asked her mother instart led disapprobation .

I s no t thi s three- crossed flag of England thatwaves over our dear New France an al ien flag to us ,mother ?” Therese exclaimed , her black eyes flashing . I

,of French blood

,whose noble l ine goes

back to that brave knight who served with Charlemagne, care not for any standard save the l i l i ed flagOf France

,which they have here tra i led low in the

dust . All others are al ike to me !”

My dear chi ld,

” her mother said sad ly, I fearthis pride of birth and race wil l but embitter what itcannot mend .

”

“ I am fairly devoured w i th ennui in this dulltown

,and shal l welcome anything that wil l break

the sense of weariness,and the fool i sh dread of wh

may be a happy change . Are we not truly pr i sonenow within these narrow walls ? We cannot pawithout thegates to ramble in the woods , but a rudesoldier points his gun ,

and demands some fool i shpassword , which I invariably forget, or stupidlywrong . Only yesterday

,when I Should

,as I

told , have given the password of the day to the sentry , and repeated the words , Good King George ,

’ Iblundered

,and said instead

,

‘Good George Washington And as to driving in the moonl ight by ther iver to where the whi te rapids o f Lachine foamand boi l above the sunken rocks , that i s not tobe so much as thought of ev en , l est I should becaught and carr ied off to New York or

*Boston by

VOWS 1

some of these bluecoats . I protest I would scarcehave the wi sh to refuse a romance so very temptingand novel these dull t imes

,had I the chance ; and

which I may,for as that Engl i sh play—writer

,Master

Will iam Shakespeare , of Stratford , hath well said ,‘

Beauty’

prov oketh thieves more than gold , shecontinued pe rversely .

CHAPTER IV.

MAR CH HE WIL L .

SOM E two months before in the town of NewHaven

,Connecticut , two men were convers ing on

the theme of which all in the colonies,men and wo

men al ike , were thinking and talking— the stubborncampaign on which they had entered with such a

mixture of rage and despair . One was a traderof the town

,who had left his apothecary shOp ne

the water—front to take to the field .

His companion,a man of a fine presence , show

camp training in hi s erect figure and soldierly being

,was seated , but suddenly ris ing and placing

hand on the arm of the man pacing impatientlyfore him

,he said :

Arnold , be advised Temper your passioreason

, for’twere the height of folly an d

to carry out thi s purpose of marching w itho

orders . ”

At the words , spoken with persuasion yet w ithe authority of one who had seen service iking’s army , Bened i ct Arnold suddenly wabout . Irritably shaking off the restrainingwith hai r pushed angrily back

,and the hot

crimsoning hi s handsome,swarthy face

,he 1

every inch a fighter,as he exclaimed with passionat

vehemence

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74 CROSSED SWORDS

to Arnold , who al ready was showing himsel f something of a leade r : “Ar nold , America seems lackingin everything save men to fight !”

Aye,was the answer

,

“ but they come,every

man of them,from good fighting stock ! ’Tis New

England ’gainst Old England !”

On reaching the camp,that this was true seemed

plain to be seen,the former case woefully so. To

Vanrosfeldt, with his practi sed eye, they seemed a

nondescript and motley- l ooking crowd , but there wassomething I n thei r look and mien that showed theyremembered from whence they had sprung. Sorrylooking sold iers truly they were

,bivouacked in the

rude huts of stones and turf that were scattered overCambridge Common

,and which were patched up

with boards and weatherworn sail—cl oth which hadbeen cast aside after long years o f service among thefogs of the Atlantic fish ing—banks . Among the menwhat was lacking in experience was made up forin courage . They remembered that not far d istantwas a grim

,grey rock on which their Puritan fore

fathers had landed,and that they were the sons of

those old Roundheads who had fought withCromwell at Naseby and Marston Moor

,shouting

as they charged Charles Stuart ’s r ingleted Caval iersGod with us l” The Briti sh held possess ion of thetown across the river

,but from the white farm

houses among the orchards,the wives and mothers

brought food and needful clothing to sons and husbands , str iving with the smi l ing bravery of pale l ipsto quiet the anxious beating of thei r hearts

,that

thei r sold iers ’ courage might not be lessened by theirtears .

MARCH HE WILL 75

On an afternoon in early September the rays ofthe setting sun ,

slanting through the branches of theelms

,cast long

,wavering shadows over the pleasant

fields of Cambridge,through which the River

Charles ran under yellowing willows to the sea. Following a cow—path across the green

,two soldiers o f

the patriot army were returning from Vassel House,a handsome mansion near by

,from which its owner ,

a rabid Royali st,had fled some time before . Early

in July,General George \Vashington had taken com

mand of the army under one of those same Cambridge elms , s ince which time the house had beenhis headquarters.As they walked

,the men carried themselves with

the assured gait o f those having a firm purpose inview

,and the doing of a great task before them .

Such a frame of mind was befitt ing, as to them hadbeen committed the making of a venture of imminent ri sk

, one to which few men , even the bravest ,were equal . Bened i ct Arnold

,a look of fierce de

l ight kindled in his eyes,turning to his companion

and reading as they walked,said

“I ark ’

ee, Vanrosfeldt, to our orders given herein :

‘ It i s intended by the Congress at Philadelphia,

that ye proceed to co- Operate with the expedit ionunder General s Schuyler and Montgomery

,and pro

ceed to Quebec,by way of the waters and mounta ins

of Maine . Upon the success o f thi s enterpri se , ofpreventing the King’s troops in Canada from hectoring us on the north

,the safety of the whole country

largely depends . ’ Stopping in the path,and draw

ing himsel f up to h is ful l height , Van rosfeldt said ,laconical ly and with deci sion :

76 CROSSED SWORDS

We can do it , ArnoldAccordingly

,a few days later

,their detachm ent

marched through the streets of Olde Town, or Cambridge

,as it had become the fashion to styl e it, on

the way to the northern border ; betwixt which layleagues of unbroken wilderness and unknown peri lsand hardship .

As the force passed the gates of the school , calledfor godly John Harvard

,they found that, unmindful

of the grave d isquiet which the occupation of thepremises by the troops from Connect icut had causedthe worthy masters

,a group of students had gathered

under the walls . They lusti ly cheered the Patriotsmarching by

,although they knew ful l wel l that each

man had,in the well - filled pouch at his belt , a goodly

supply of bullets obtained from the melting downand casting of the leaden roof and organ - pipes ofthe chapel in the campus .Arnold

,in command

,walked in front

,in the ful l

regimentals of a colonel in the Continental Army ,with Ensign Van rosfeldt bearing the pennant of theRevolution

,the morning l ight striking bravely on

sword - hilt and sl ing- buckle . They were followed bya heterogeneous company

,but

,for sp irited charac

ter and iron frames and wil ls,the picked men of the

colonies . The column of twelve hundred men wasmade up of veterans of the Indian wars , who werelearned in the cunning and savage wiles of thepainted race

,had heard the hideous scalp—yell

,and

been accustomed since chi ldhood to the menacehanging over border settlements . Among them werehunters

,knowing in woodcraft and trained in the

use of the bark canoe . Born to a knowledge of the

MARCH HE WILL 77

Indian,and having spent their l ives on the outposts

of the front i er, they w ere as keen on the wildernesstrai l as the wariest redskin who ever fired a set

tler’

s shanty, or strung scalp to his wampum belt .Crack shots

,they were accustomed to forest fighting,

knowing often that i f thei r first ball did not tel l,

there would be no chance for another . Every backwoodsman was above all things skill ed in the chase

,

which was no mean training for the field of ba ttle .

Bringing up the rear was a bod y of men with thefree

,springing step of the mountaineers of Kentucky

and V i rginia , each carrying a rifle , with a tomahawkand scalp ing- kni fe in hi s belt . Sinewy veterans ofborder warfare

,they seemed to carry in the ruddy

tan of their cheeks and clearness of eye , the breathof the sweet

,pure air of thei r nat ive hi ll s . Clad for

the most part in the dress of the ir plumed and paintedfoes

,they wore fringed and tasseled hunting- sh i rts

,

and leggings of buckskin,girdles worked in beads

,

and, on thei r heads , caps of coon or mink skin

,the

tai l hanging down the back . With their long locksfal l ing over the capes on their shoulders . they w eremagnificent in appearance and stature

, not one beingless than s ix feet in height . Echoes of the despairing stri fe of thei r brethren on the northern tidewater had penetrated through the d im woods totheir mountain fastnesses

,and they had hurried

through leagues of shadowy forest to help thosefighting on the seaboard , and with them to str ikea blow for freedom from what they deemed injust ice .They were led by Daniel Morgan

,a V i rginian

,of

a famous family of Indian fighters . A hero in buck

78 CROSSED SWORDS

skin and a giant in stature, he had won a name forbravery and daring unequalled by any in the greatwoods of the Vi rginian frontier . He had left theblue mountains

,the woodland haunts

,the wild joy of

the chase,and the camp - fire under the southern

,

balsam - breathing pines,for death

,i t might be

,but

fight he would !

Scattered among the ranks were farmers in ev efyvariety of homespun shirts and smal l—clothes , homeknit socks and cowhide shoes . At thei r s ides wereslung powder—horns

,and in thei r toi l- hardened hands

were the trusty fl intlocks that always hung readyover every chimney - corner in the settlements .Though followers of the plow

,they had not forgot

ten the skill o f the ir forefathers, who went to meet

ing- house with a psalm - book in one hand , and a gunin the other .Arriving at Newburyport, scarcely had the first

of the transports wait ing for thei r conveyance beenfilled

,when Van rosfeldt

,who was directing the

barkation ,descried a small company of men ap

proach ing . They'

were covered thickly with the dustof the ten leagues over which they had come , andstaggered with fat igue and the weight of the heavymuskets they carried . Thei r leader

,though under

medium height,was a striking youth

,well propor

tioned,athlet i c in figure

,and wi th a certain allure

ment o f manner of unusual attractiveness . His features , though fine

,were irregular

,but thi s was for

gotten in the beau ty of the eye,which was full . a

deep hazel,and with an expression which

,once seen

,

could never be forgotten . Though l ittl e more thana boy , his countenance already bore traces of a wild

MARCH HE WILL 9

and wayward nature . His face was haggard fromrecent i l lness

,and the hurri ed and lengthy j ourney

on foot,for which

,in sp ite o f al l remonstrance . he

had ri sen from a sick - bed .

Interrupted in his engrossing occupat ion,Arnold

turned to the young man,whom he had known

since his chi ldhood,and with a frown said testi ly °

Aaron,how came ye hither ?”

With a low bow,and point ing to his comrades . he

repl ied :With thi s brave following, whom I have equip

ped for service,I have marched the th irty miles

’twixt here and Boston . S ix good men and true, weoffer our sword s on thi s crusade .

“ What folly i s this,lad ?” exclaimed Arnold .

Did I not hear of you il l in your chamber , dosedwith sassa fras tea

,and well bl ed by the leech

,but

one week past ? This wild erness upon which wesoon will enter is fit only for the foot of trappersand savages, and is no place for you ,

headstrong boy :so return forthwith to your foster - mother , good Mistress Shippen

,as winding the silks for Mistress

Peggy ’s tambour - frame i s better suited to your v ea tsand taste than fighting Briti sh redcoats . ”

His air of depreciat ion and patronage exasperated the youth to anger .

“ And I,in turn

,

” he sneered,would counsel

you , Master Apotheca ry, to h ie.

ye back to your shopof drugs on Water Street , New Haven , where Iwarrant ye have ki ll ed more men by your pil l s thanever ye shall with your bullets . I f there were aughtthat might change my purpose

,

’t i s the thought ofthe sweet Peggy, who,

I trow,would have wept her

CROSSED SWORDS

pretty eyes out had I had opportunity to bid her farewell but even a kiss from her tempting l ips wouldnot have availed to deter me . Go I wil l ! for neitherargument nor per suasion wil l avail to change anypurpose upon which Aaron Burr has set his mind .

And lightly Springing towards the boats,and hai llng

h is companions to follow ,he stubbornly took hi s

place in the one which had j ust been loosed from itsmoorings .An off- shore breeze ri sing freshly

,and the t ide

with them,the course was taken up and continued

unti l the mouth of the Kennebec River was reached ,

when the prows of the l ittl e fleet were turned upstream . Some facts about the route had been oh

tained from a party of Indians who had recentlyvis ited General Washington’ s headquarters . It hadbeen lea rned from them that, three suns

’ j ourneyfrom the big r iver of the I roquois , a highland separated the waters flowing into i t from those runningsouth to the sea. From this information, and a rudemap of the region in h i s possession

,Arnold deter

mined to leave the river and strike due north to findthe summit which d ivided the St . Lawrence val leyfrom the water sources of New England . Crossingthat , he hoped to reach the head of the Chaudiere,and from thence make descent upon Quebec . Thetask of penetrating a trackless

,unknown wilderness

was one of great hazard,demanding singular cour

age and sel f- rel iance ; but it was undertaken with undaunted and resolute spiri t

,and its d iffi culti es man

fully faced by leaders and men .

S o exceed ingly toi lsome and laborious,however

,

did it prove , and so almost insurmountable the na

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82 CROSSED SWORDS

grim bastion,and mingled with the smoke from the

stone houses clustering on the water’s edge below .

As the men gazed across at the fort ified cl i ffs ,Vanrosfeldt, with face stern and set, po inted s il entlyto where, high above the ramparts , a thin red l inestreamed against the grey of the sky— the LionStandard of England .

CHAPTER V.

THE CURE OF L OR E TTE .

A WEE ! of storm ,with rain and sleet

,and heavy

winds from the north,was spent in preparat ion for

crossing the river . Canoes,which had been procured

twen ty miles away, were carried to the shore, intowhich

, on the first lul l of the tempest , al l exceptsome two hundred embarked . Favored by thedarkness

,they crossed within a few cables’ length of

the Vulture, a Brit i sh warship , which was stationedto intercept any such attempt ; and running into acove

,found safe harborage, and d i sembarked , five

hundred strong. Above them,up the face of the crags

,

a z igzag goat - track wound to the dizzy steep,which

seemed to hang in the ai r, and up which , fifteen yearsbefore

,Wol fe and his ki lted Scots had dragged their

cannon . It was the only way ; but where one manhad gone

,i t was plain another could fol low ; so,

al

though itwas so narrow that two could scarcely walkabreast

,without hes itat ion Arnold boldly deter

mined to attempt dashingup it with his ragged , barefooted men ; who,

with damaged muskets,without

arti ll ery and with only five rounds of ammunition,

were sti l l as eager as he to fight . Glancing from theremnant of hi s fine corps to the defiant- looking ramparts

,he turned

,saying

My men lack everything save stout hearts,and

it i s imperative that Montgomery, advancing on

83

84 CROSSED SWORDS

Montreal,should at once be made aware of our pre

sent pos ition . Whom think ye, Vanrosfeldt, shouldI select for thi s del icate and dangerous errand Itwil l require not only a stout heart , but a most robustcourage

,to traverse one hundred and eighty miles of

hos ti le country to carry my despatches . They canbe entrusted to no prentice hand , I tell ye ; the moment i s too critical .He had scarce finished the words , when Vanrosfeldt repl ied : I wil l be the bearer of thi s message

,

” and Aaron Burr as promptly addedWith such chances as there are of detent ion or

accident,I would take share in this venture

,and will

trust to my nat ive ingenuity and wit to carry us

through ; for albei t I may be lacking in the traits youname as needful

,I wil l make amends by certain

powers of diss imulation and persuasion,which my

fair friends have done me the honor to lay to mycharge . ”

Aware that many of the French people of theProvince had not yet become reconciled to Briti shrule , and that to the clergy o f the Church of Romeit was especially distaste ful

, Vanrosfeldt la id h is

plans so that thi s di ssati sfact ion should mini ster toh i s purpose .The next day

,as the setting sun was gilding the

roo fs and chimneys of the peace ful l i ttle French vi llage of Lorette

,which

,among its orchards and

brown fields,lay a few miles from Quebec

,two

young pri ests were seen seek ing among the whitecabins for that of the cure

’

. Under the lee of thechurch

,whose bell was softly ringing for vespers ,

they found the humble cottage,and knocking, awaited

THE CURE OF LORETTE 85

an answer . In a few moments, a woman in theclose - fitting cap , grey homespun skirt and blue ch intzapron of the Breton housewi fe

,answered the sum

mons,and asked in French what was wanted ; but

without waiting for a response,on seeing the cleri

cal habit Of those asking admission , she threw thedoor wide open

,saying : “ Come i n

,messieurs ,

”

and admitted them into a low - cei led,severely

simple room . Upon the floor,which was

scrubbed to a golden hue in extreme clean li

ness , were laid strips of the home -made carpet, or catalogue, over the weaving of which thethri fty women of the valley spent the long even ingsof the Canadian winter . On the wall hung a carvedblack crucifix

,and beneath it a print of the M ater

D olor osa. Pointing to the wooden chairs,the wo

man informed the visitors that the curewas at vespers in the church ,

‘but would hear the brothers ’

wishes as soon as the service, which would be short ,was over .Disappearing, she returned with a tray on

which were glasses of wine,which she hersel f had

made from the wi ld grapes which abounded inthe neighborhood , saying : The day has

been chi lly and Messieurs may be cold , of

which she was assured when she observed,

that although the open hearth - fire sent out a grateful warmth , the strangers did not uncover theirheads , but seemed the rather to desire to keep in theshadow . One walked restlessly to and fro

,glancing

impatiently at the path which led to the church,and

at las t , as a tal l , black - robed figure appeared comingtowards the l ittl e wicket, he took a seat furthest fromthe l ight .

86 CROSSED SWORDS

As the wooden latch was l i fted , the strangers sawbefore them the spare figure and calm, saint - l ikeface of a devotee , a type of the holy fathers who ahundred years before had crossed unknown seas withthe story of the Cros s . There was

,however, nothing

of the ascetic in the genial smil e and outstretchedhand with which he bade h is brothers welcome , oneof whom repl ied to h is cordial greeting in the Frenchtongue . Beginning to relate some of the simpleannals of the village

,he paused as he not iced signs

of uneasiness in his vis itors ’ bearing, on seeing whichthe l ines of his face settled into an expression of concerned gravity . Shaking his head sadly

,he con

tinued“ Ah

,my brothers

,we have fal len on troublous

times . How fares it in the city I hear the armyof Patriots i s already under the wall s of Quebec , andanother near Montreal

,ready to del iver our be loved

New France,for which our fathers gave their l i fe

blood , and free her from the foreign chai ns withwhich for sixteen yea rs she has been shackled . Wepray, I and my people, for thei r prosperity .

”

One of his l i steners suddenly casting aside hi scowl , and ri sing to his feet , the priest , with astonishment, saw before him,

instead of a shaven monkl ike himsel f

,a handsome soldier

,his queue t ied with

a black r iband . Before he could recover from hissurpri se, Burr, with a smile of engaging sweetness

dispel l ing the assumed sanctimoniousness of his facehearti ly grasped the hand of hi s host, exclaiming joyfullyI am Aaron Burr

,a sold ier in this same army,

and would fain have your prayers take the form of

THE CURE OF LORETTE 87

action . Unpouch ing something from the innermost folds of his robe, he continued eager ly :Here in my wallet I have advices from Colonel

Arnold, who commands - this army

,to General Mont

gomery,investing Montreal

,which it i s of the ut

most mom ent‘

should be del ivered without delay .

”

Peace be to thee , my brother,” exclaimed his l i s

tener,and Burr answered in LatinAnd to thee also, Father .How can I be of service in so good a cause

the cure’

asked med i tat ively . After a moment’ sconsideration

,his face l ighting up , he said , turning

to Vanrosfeldt :“ I have it ! Ambrose Lafarge

,of thi s v i llage,

leaves at sunrise to morrow,to carry a pastoral let

ter from the good Abbé at Quebec to the Seminaryof St . Sulpice at Montreal , stopp ing at each rel igioushouse on the way . He wil l give you and your con

frere a seat , asking no questions . He loves to ta lk ,and will do more than enough for al l three adding,with a sigh : “ It i s true

,my brothers

,that these

Engl i sh have not been ungenerous to us ; they haveleft us our mother tongue and our rel igion , for whichwe cannot but be grateful

,but our hearts turn with

longing to the flag of our father ’ s land , which welove . We have heard rumors that France too willj oin in thi s stri fe , which , being for freedom ,

must beright !”

The next day the first rays of l ight were strikingon the roughly - shingled roof and slender spire of thel ittle church , making its windows shine l ike starsamong the leafless trees . The white sunshine touchedwith a tender grace the t ime - stained wood en

88 CROSSED SWORDS

crosses,which marked the graves of the good

Pierres,Josephs and Maries who had l ived out their

s imple l ives within sound of its bel l . The earlycandle l ight shone from the four - paned windows ofthe log cabins

,as a small vehicle with a rough native

pony between the shafts , drew up by a path downwhich the cure

'

and two other pri ests were coming.

The driver,pull ing oflc hi s cap of muskrat pelt , bowed

reverently in respectful s i lence,as his priest, in a

few words,said , pointing to the strangers :

“ My good Ambrose, my friends here wil l bearyou company . Like yoursel f, they are carry ingimportant messages to thei r super iors in Montreal .A journey

,which might otherwise be a wearisome

one for you,will now be l ightened by good compan

ionship, and l i ft ing his eyes to Heaven, he con

tinued , with arm rai sed in bless ing :“Pox v obis

cum,

”and turn ing, entered the church , to which a

few early worshippers were coming .

When he returned to his dwell ing, where h is fruga l meal was Spread

,his p ious sister

,Genev ieve , who

ranked him in sanctity with the saints Chrysostomand Franci s d ’

A ssisi , wondered i f some b lack crimeo f the confess ional was weighing upon his tenderheart, that the fish she had broiled with her best skil lturned cold , while, with a look of anxiety shading theusual s erenity of his face

,he sat lost in thought re

garding the risk of the venture to which he had , inal l good faith and conscience

,l ent himsel f .

Following the road,which ran paralle l with the

r iver bank,with his hors e ’ s head turned westward ,

the habi tant,with the extreme reverence with which

his s imple minded class regarded the clergy of his

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CHAPTER VI .

ALARM BE L L S R ING .

IN a corner o f a high—backed pew in the church ofNotre Dame de Bonsecours

,which

,with its d im

grey wal ls, stood on the r iver bank at Montreal , asl ight, girl ish figure knelt

,as she dil igently counted

the beads in her rosary,and repeated her prayers .

In the pious devotee,whose fall ing tears blurred the

l ines in the breviary before her,would scarcely be

recognized the gay,l ight - hearted Therese de L ér ie.

Her nimble feet loved better the swaying measuresof the dance than bending at confess ions and hearingmasses ; but that morning she had stol en thither tohide her first great grief

,for on the eve be fore

,she

and her twin brother had parted for the first t ime intheir l ives .She had tri ed her every art to win her parents fromtheir purpose . First w ith coaxing and caresses , suchas she had oftentimes used in their chi ldhood to gainforgiveness for some boyi sh prank ; then with tearsshe had entreated them to bethink them ,

ere theyShaved his glossy curls

, so l ike her own, and left onlyan ugly tonsure l ike those of the grave fathers ofthe monastery . She had entreated them to forbidthat the young son of a noble house should quit h isgay l i fe in the salons of the town , to Spend his daysand nights in meditation in a cel l

,in fast s and do

ing alms but entreaty,tears

,kisses, and even anger

90

ALARM BELLS RING 9 :

moved not the ir purpose, so alone in the church She

knelt with stream ing eyes raised to the altar, whereshe and Leon had so often said the i r chi ldishprayers side by s ide .Suddenly a loud clamor of bel l s was heard in thesteeple above

,which was answered back by such a

clang from tower and bel fry as never Sabbathheard before to cal l to worship or to mass . Soonthere was a sound of running feet , and here and thereincoherent cries of alarm ; and a dire feel ing ofdread and fright entered even into the solemn quietof the sacred place . Pale faces looked at each otherwith mute questioning, and the unspoken words hungon every l ip :The foe — they come ! they come !At that same altar had prayed some of the earlyFathers

,many of whom had died for the cross gl it

tering on the Spire ; and there in that hour of perilthe priest, s topping in the middle of the Latin chantturned to his people with arms rai sed among thefloating clouds of incense, and with a calm benedict ion

,di smissed them .

The rector in the Angl ican church,reciting the

Litany,prayed : From battle and murder and from

sudden death , and as the people, responding, en

treated with trembl ing l ips ,“ Good Lord

,del iver

us ,” he let them go to j oin the hurrying men and

women in the streets ; and the news passed from lipto l ip

,that the American r iflemen had crossed the

r iver , and were marching towards the gates , withwhat appeared hosti l e intention .

A hurri ed counci l ofwar was held , and soon a smallgroup ofmen , French and English, passed out of the

9 2 CROSSED SWORDS

gate by the Recollet Monastery ; Colonel Davenant ,as next in rank to the Governor

,and ‘Monsieur de

L ér ie, as a representative Frenchm an , taking thel ead . The gate closed behind them with a dul l clangand they S i lently proceeded to skirt the marshes, beyond which was a l ine of blue set with steel , whichglittered in the calm spl en dor of the Sabbath Sun

l ight . The two sold ier - cit izens,representing the two

greatest mil itary powers in the world , who wouldlook unm oved into the cannon ’ s mouth rather thanthat the flag of thei r fathers should suffer d ishonor,walked in front under the white pennant of surrender, with heads erect and step as d ignified as i f bearing the royal standard from a victor ious field .

At sight of the handful of unarmed men and theirflag of truce , the command Halt

,

” rolled down theadvancing column .

Colonel Daven ant stepped forward,and saluting

addressed the General,saying :

S ir, our ci ty gates wi l l be thrown open to yourtroops, as to offer resi stance in the weak and defenceless condition o f the town would savor moreof foolhardiness and a wanton shedd ing of bloodthan of v alor . We desire to enter into such term s aswil l en sure protection to our l ives and property , andtrust that an army, organized for the resi stance ofwhat it i s pl eased to deem oppression , will recognize the moral rights of a community of fellowsubj ects , who,

though not in sympathy with the causewhose claims i t would enforce

,have thus far offered

no hosti le demonstration thereto . We are loyal sub

jects of His Most Gracious Maj esty, King George,to whom we owe fealty

,and we decl ine to give

ALARM BELLS RING 9 3

allegiance to any other than our rightful l i ege, unlesscompelled there-to by superior force of arms ; butunder exist ing conditi ons we can but surrender, anddel iver up the keys of the town .

”

Montgomery, with his customary graceful addressand w i nn1 ng manner, repl i ed :The great Amer ican Congress has sent this army

into your province,not to plunder but to protect it .

We have taken up arms in defence of our l iberty,our property, our wives and our children ; and recommend that ye too range yourselves under the standard of general l iberty, against which all the forceo f artifice and tyranny will never be able to prevai l .To—morrow morning at nine o ’clock we wil l takepossession of the Recollet Gate , as I understand it i sdesignated

,where the proper officers must attend

and del iver over the keys of al l publ ic stores . Wewill then proceed to take the custody of the postsand watches of the town ; but there wi l l be no sacking nor other act o f violence permitted on the parto f the troops under my command .

”

To the l i steners in the town, came strains ofmartial music , which , borne on the south windmomentari ly became louder and nearer .Hark

,what i s that sound ?” cried Therese

,

trembl ing in her mother ’s arms . “ Is i t not therattl e o f musketry I hear ? Alas ! my father

,i t may

be he has fallen !”

No, my chi ld , i t i s but the beating of drums ; andhearken can you not hear the sound of fifes Itake it as a S ign of truce , and we are safe .Straightening her sl ight figure , Therese , with

flashing eyes,exclaimed

9 4 CROSSED SWORDS

Did I not tel l you that thi s enemy is good andnoble Think ye that men who are brave enoughto defy a king would fire upon defenceless womenand children ? I f i t e ’er fal l out that one of thesesame bluecoats lay S iege to my weak

,fool i sh heart

,

I fear me I wi ll not even parley as to terms of surrender, but cap itulate at once . Something, I knownot what , a presentiment perchance, tel l s me thatthus ’ twil l be .Then have a care and let not your fool i sh fancy

run away with your better sense . It i l l becomes yourmother’ s daughter thus to speak

,

” rebuked hermother .Suppose fate thus wi ll s, how can a poor, weak

girl,who I fear loves a romance better than her

cre’

do,struggl e against de stiny ! Besides

,

’ t i s scarcea week since the Indian seer- woman did tel l me thatthere i s a handsome lover coming

,who

,though a

brave ’ as she called h im in her Indian tongue,i s

neither French nor Engl i sh . He is to be tall andfair - looking

,with eyes the color of the blue sky at

dawn,and hair the hue of the ripened nut that fal ls

in the woods when the maples turn to red in theautumn . I am to have a rival

,too, She said , a

woman young and golden - haired . There i s to bemuch trouble

,and She saw the flow of blood , but

whose she did not say ; I trust it i s my r ival’s .”

Peace,chi ld ; cease thi s wayward folly You

know ful l well that French ma idens of gentle b irthdo not choose whom they Shall wed . They have aproper par ti chosen for them . Your cousin

,Barre

'

Raoul St . M ge r , i s the one with whom we have arranged a sui table marriage for you, and with whom

ALARM BELLS RING 9 5

you shal l some day share hi s proud domain in theval ley of the Seine . A S Chatelaine of St . Leger, youwil l reign where your mother played with his

father,as babes

,under its noble oaks and beeches .

He Shal l take you to the Court of the young QueenMarie Anto inette

,and to L e Peti t Tr ianon at Ver

sai lles,to play the Shepherdess in the royal gardens

with the gayest of them,and it may be to even dance

at the Tui leries ’ balls wi th the king himself . ’Tisa fai r fortune !”

Perchance the future has these things in storefor me—who knows ? And Court l i fe would notcome amiss to me ; but

‘be sure Therese de L ér ie wil lonly marry where she also loves . ”

The next morning She haunted the casement , andstrained her ears for the trampl ing o f feet , unti l atlast with flushing cheeks she cried , as , looking downthe vista of the street

,she saw a mass of blue uni

forms“ Make haste to look , mother, they come ! —theycome —and friend or foe

,i t i s a goodly s ight . Now

they approach and po inting excitedly to one of

them in front, She excla imed in admiration

Mark ye that soldier close behind him whomI take to be Montgomery ! See hi s flashing blueeyes , and dark , nut - brown , curl ing locks ! I neversaw a finer form or face . See , he looks thi s way !I wil l salute him and before her mother couldcomprehend her meaning, a l ittle lace kerch ief wasfluttering on the breeze

,and whether with intention

or not fell from her hand l ike a tiny white cloud ,and sa i led near the head o f the sold ier whose attention she wished to attract . As She uttered an ex

9 6 CROSSED SWORDS

clamation,he looked up, and deft ly catching the

trifle Of lace upon his sword p—oint, l i fted it to the lowwindow

,and bowed to the blushing cheeks and

Sparkl ing black eyes . A S he passed on, ,

she pressedthe bit of cambric to her l ips

,and k issing it

,cried :

“ This i s my flag of truce ! I surrender withoutcondit ions for yonder ‘ Brave,

’ as the seer - womanforetold neither French nor Engl ish —i s my master and my fate !”

As Colonel Davenant left S i r Guy’s headquarters,

which were taken possess ion of by Montgomery andhi s official staff

,he turned to his friend de L ér ie,

and pointing to the roof of the chateau,said bit

terly :

In fewer years than number our chi ldren ’ s l ives ,three flags have floated yonder ; but courage , myfriend

,we have yet Carl eton and Quebec ! There

the red cross of England st il l waves,and though

with us , as your luckless king once said, when in alike unhappy pl ight

,All i s lost but honor

,

’ Ipredict that there Richard Montgomery wi l l meetwith other greeting than it has been our evi l fortune here to offer him . As the great d -e Frontenacsaid when the surrender of the town was demandedin hi s day, Our answer there will be from the cannon’ s mouth .

’

The first duty of the American general was to proceed to bill et h is men upon the inhabitants of thetown . After the long marches

,and the arduous work

of red ucing several forts,the peaceful possession of

the place , and the quiet accommodation it offeredin the comfortable

,and in some cases , luxurious

homes,were most grateful to the footsore army . It

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9 8 CROSSED SWORDS

Bordeaux and Rochel le of hal f a century’s v intage ,

brought over to make merry the feasting in the daysof the old régime .As the men gathered around the crackl ing birchlogs that roared in the large fireplaces

,they at times

longingly called to m ind the ir own ho -me—hearthsacross the border

,where the women they loved

thought of them as they Spun,and counted the days

til l thei r return .

S itt ing in the twil ight a few days after the investment of the town

,General Montgomery gazed at the

burning embers . A wistful look saddened his features

,and turning to Van rosfeldt, who sat with him ,

he saidThi s same moon

,l ighting these easements here

shines fai r and clear to- night along the Hudsonand ri sing with an impatient gesture

,he cont

impetuouslyI would

,Van rosfeldt

,that the health of Sch

ler had permitted him to reside here this winter .i rrepressible and unaccountable des ire to once mS it by my own fireside possesses me to—night . I woI might go home, even i f, to compass thatmust walk the length of the lakeside in the w icold —a strange premonition of impendingwhich at t imes weights the human heart

,as in

pl icable as unconquerable,seem ing to bear upon

sp irit .’Tis a natural desire

,S i r

,but think

,I

you , of the success which has marked our careerfar , and the stil l greater victory that, without doawaits us down the river

,

” was the cheer ingspouse .

ALARM BELLS RING 9 9

I am weary of power,Vanrosfeldt, and total ly

want the patience and temper for such a command ,he continued dejectedly .

Nay,th ink not so,

General , nor harbor thoughtssuch as these

,which are but for !the moment , and

will pass away with morning and renewed action ;when

,marching back to the Hudson , crowned with

success,ye wil l look back and laugh at the imagined

weakness o f thi s hour,

” pers isted Vanrosfeldt, smiling convincingly to dissipate the gloom overshadowing the Spirit o f Montgomery .

“Aye,friend , he repl ied , with an ominous Shake

of hi s head,but forget not that Quebec l ies ’ twixt

this n ight and that .”

Mistress Davenant,and more espec ial ly Phyll i s

found the occupation of their home by the enemyan exceedingly di staste ful state o f things

,as the

main rooms and principal kitchens were ent irelygiven up to their use. Under the eaves were severalchambers , wh ich had been used as a reserve in thedays of the Open hospital ity under the FrenchRégime

,and to which they retired . They w ere

smal l and S imply furnished,but though uncom

fortably cramped for Space , were at least i solated ,and free from the di scomfort of the rest o f thedomici le , the foreign sold iers not being there eu

countered in the narrow passages,as could not be

altogether avoided in the lower corridors and onthe stairways .Madame de L ér ie, with great kindness o f heart,immediately sent a message with proffers of Shelterfor Phyll i s in the privacy of her home

,which had

escaped confiscation,saying :

CROSSED SWORDS

Dear Madame Davenant ,! tis ne ither decorous

nor becoming for a well - born maiden , as fai r andyoung as your sweet child

,to remain under the

same roof as these unwelcome sold iery,even though

they are officers,and mayhap gentlemen . Thérése

,

who p ines for her brother, whom alas ! duty and rel igion have parted from us , wil l find solace in thecompanionship of one who i s as dear to her as as i ster . ”

Accordingly,on Phyll i s ’s arriving at the great

door of the chateau, Thérése received her guest withopen arms and much effusion and embracing, conducting her to her own l itt l e rose- hung boudoir

,say

ing,We wil l share it together, my poor Phyll is ,

”

who,dropping into a low fauteui l

,s ighed with plea

sure ; and then with a l i ttl e Shudder of revuls ion ,exclaimedTo l ive in daily danger of encounter ing these

sold iers i s utterly repuls ive and repugn ant . Thisforcible occupation of one ’s home is l ike being com

pelled to l ive in the publ ic ity of a mil itary camp,with its noise

,rattle of arms and clang of Spurs . ”

To her surpri se,Thérése repl ied , with a disdainful

laugh“ Why

,Phyll is

,you talk more l ike one of the

veil ed s isters in the convent than a pretty younggirl who should seek admi ration . To me ’

ti s charming, l ike l iving in a real drama , in which you mightplay the part o f herom e. I love romance

,and i f the

handsome sold ier to whom I have lost my heart werequartered in the Chateau de Lé r ie

,I would be

nothing loth to have it turned into a barracks too.

”

Shocked at what she considered a lack of proper

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1 02 CROSSED SWORDS

of the ga rrets . Even on the dressing- table of mymother’s boudoi r no doubt rest the spurs and swordknots of these rebels aga inst thei r king . I would Imigh t remain away !”

’Tis the least l ikely thing that I should do so !

Merriment i s surely now scarce enough to ensuremy welcoming aught that savors in the least degreeof pl easure . To Speak the truth

,Phyll i s

,I am all

impatience for the hour, and have commandedLizette to lay out for it my white petticoat of satin,with sl ippers to match

,and my gown of crimson

silk,which you say so well suits my complexion .

Now that I am eighteen , I shall , I presume , be atlast permitted to wear the j ewel s for neck and wristwhich were wi l led to me by my grandmother, theMarquise de St . Leger, so I expect to look my bestand make a conquest o f the handsome sold ier ,

”

Thérése answered, as she glanced with much

approval at her reflection in a wall - mirror oppositeher chair .At the appointed hour on the evening of the

banquet,Madame de L ér ie arr ived in proper state

and with well preserved dignity at the. Continentalofficers

’ quarters,the two girl s by her S ide

Thérése flushed and excited,Phyll i s cold and a

l ittl e pale . They were a pretty pai r,in soft calash

hoods and pel isses of grey and crimson edged withfur, thei r hands h idden in big muffs of marten, withpattens snugly protecting their l ittl e feet . A S theyapproached the doorway of her home

,Phyl l i s

shrank back as a figure in blue sprang from theadj oining salon

,and

,opening the heavy door

,held i t

as they passed through . Not l i ft ing so much as an

ALARM BELL S RING 1 03

eyelash,she bowed coldly in acknowledgment of the

courtesy ; but Thérése flashed a warm glance of

thanks,blushing crimson as she recognized who it

was that offered it . N0 sooner were they out ofhearing than

,in a rapture of excitement , she

grasped Phyll i s by the arm,exclaiming :

“ ’Tis he ! Oh,

’ ti s he,Phyll i s

,the sold ier who

with such a court - bred a ir w as so gallant wi th mykerchief the day the troops marched in . Oh ! howmy heart beats a t the S ight o f him .

”

Thérése,” she answered frigidly

,I trust you

are mistaken in thinking the sold ier of whom youSpeak so warmly and this man are the sam e .

Wherefore not ?” she inquired , and then clasping Phyl l i s ’s hand rapturously

,She continued : “ Be

assured,

’t i s he,

’t i s surely he !”

Drawing away from the proffered embrace .Phyll i s said - ici ly :That soldier i s Edward Van rosfeldt ; to which

Thérése,with a quick blush

,made answer :

“ It matters not to me what name he bea rs orwhat coat he wears !A town invested by an enemy is usually not givento overmuch merry - making

,so on that November

night the grey - gabled chateau,with every window

a- glitter, was a heartsome and cheering sight . The

hour was sti l l early when the guests gatheredaround the long mahogany board

,in the yellow

gleam of candlel ight and Sheen of silver andcrystal . From the strained condit ions and unusua lcircumstances surrounding it , the supper began as

stiff as a state- banquet,but presently the mellowing

influence of madeira warmed a more genial Spirit ,

1 04 CROSSED SWORDS

and avoiding subj ects which might give offence , conversation at last became general ; and as the winewent round

,French bon - ni ots mingled pleasantly

with American wit and Engl ish humor . The blueand - buff of the Continentals, the red coats of theBrit ish

,and the white - faced regimentals of a

cheval ier of France,which Monsieur de L ér ie wore

as befitt ing the occasion,made a fit and varied back

ground for the bri ll iance of the ladies ’ gowns .Therese looked gorgeous as a southern flower, inher favorite wine - color and the coveted j ewels

,the

offending birth - mark artful ly concealed beneath a

ringlet ; and Phyll i s was fai r and sweet in Indiasprigged musl in over cerulean blue . With tightlylaced bod ices

,fluttering ribands and Wi tching l ittl e

patches at the angle of a l ip or by a dimple, theywere both charming and captivating .

To the pique of Thérése, i t was Phyl l is , whowas seated on his right

,to whom Lieutenant Van

rosfeldt most frequently turn ed , and with whom heconversed . He seemed to be almost obl ivious to herown bright presence

,notwithstanding

,on his pre

sentation to her , she had coyly thanked him withwell assumed shyness for the return of her kerch ie fwhich

,with eyes demurely lowered to the pearl s on

her sl ippers , She explained She had let fal l in theexcitement of the moment .Phyll i s

,her hair shining l ike burni shed gold in

the saffron l ight of the candles,endeavored to turn

the conversation away from the embarrassment ofpersonal concerns and feel ings by talking to himof Colonial society in Philadelphia

,Boston and New

York,saying :

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1 06 CROSSED SWORDS

fairer face than Anne Temple ’s ne ’er saw the l ighto f d ay ; but now I protest , and

’ti s no idle flattery,

but a true man ’s word , her beauty in no wise compares with your own . A guinea—piece fresh fromthe royal mint i s leaden dull before the golden gleamof your bright hai r .With lowered l ids and apparent ind ifference tohis meaning

,although she colored pretti ly to the

t ips of her ears , Phyll i s again gave no sign ofpleasure at the words

,though Spoken in a tone few

women could resi st , even accustomed as they wereto the broad manner of compl imen t of the time .A movement prevented her the need of replying,

as General Montgomery rose to propose a toast toOur wives and sweethearts

,present and absent ,

”

the customary one to General Washington and theArmy ” being omitted in deference to the

'

feelings

of the guests .It was gaily and hearti ly drunk

,when he called

upon Lieutenant Vanrosfeldt to respond . As herose in compl iance

,his handsome face showing a

soft emotion new to hi s comrades in arms , whoknew him only as the dauntl-ess Soldier, not a

woman present but wondered of whom he was

th inking as he drained his glass . Refill ing it withruby - red wine

,and holding it up

,unti l in the

fl icker ing l ight it glowed as crimson as the corsageenci rcl ing Therese’ s snowy shoulders

,he asked :

“Will ye l i ft a glass with me ?” and bowing lowto the ladies he said :I have no wife nor sweetheart across the border

to pine for me,and so

,alas ! cannot pledge to the

lady of my heart, therefore I may be the only man

ALARM BELLS RING 1 07

present who can with clear conscience and dueprudence propose that we drink a toast - gallant tothe fai r women of Canada . Unfortunately at themoment they are our capt ives

,but in return they

take by storm the citadels of all our hearts, whichare too i l l- defended to resist their darts . In thechances of love and war

,we may find ourselves , ere

the campaign ends, held pri soners in s ilken chains ,and shackled in a sweet captivity we wil l be loth toflee . ”

As the men sprang to thei r feet, raised theirglasses and tossed off the toast

,Montgomery laugh

ingly exclaimedGallantly spoken ; we

’ l l drink with you, Van

rosfeldt, and quaff deeply . It may be as ye say ,an’ by my word ’twere but a j ust and merited re

venge so have a care,for by your own showing ye

yoursel f are the fittest target for '

thei r shafts . ”

When the gentlemen rose,as the ladies prepared

to leave the board and sweep from the room ,a l ittle

knot of blue loosened from Phyll i s ’s bosom and fellto the floor . A S with a backward glance Theresesaw the man

, to whom she had suddenly and im

petuously given her love , gather i t up and thrust itunder h i s buff wa istcoat

,all the affection of her

childhood and maidenhood turned into a fieryjealousy of her

, who,she thought

,had robbed her

of him whom She loved with the wild abandon of afirst and uncontrollable passion .

After the first d isturbance of the enemy ’s occupation of the town‘ had subsided

,it settled down to

the ordinary routine of domestic and commerciall i fe, with nothing to mark that a great pol i t ical

1 08 CROSSED SWORDS

cri s i s had jus t occurred , save the external evidencesof mi l i tary changes which were necessari ly involved .

Day after day passed , and no report of the captureof the fugit ives to Quebec, nor of the d iscovery ofthei r feint

,was brought in ; and the tense feel ing

was beginning to relax into a state o f hopefulnessthat the outcome was better than had been feared .

With the return of Young Moose ” the hopebecame a certa inty, as he brought the t idings thatS ir Guy and hi s party had been taken on board asmal l vessel , by which they had probably reachedthat city. in safety .

When the news of Carleton’s escape was reportedto Montgomery, turning to Vanrosfeldt, he exclaimed in a passion

’Tis a scurvy trick ! By a rare

'

piece of goodfortune mine enemy has evaded me this t ime, andby my faith , i f i t be not cowardice, i t savors stronglyof i t . This palt ry manner of entering his stronghold must gall thi s high—born knight, but let himnot think that I fear to fol low and force him fromit, impregnable though he deems it . It i s my intention to proceed thither without further delay

,

leaving here only such tr00ps as the holding of theplace demands . I will show King George’s minionsthat the Army of the Republ ic

,under command of

General Washing ton, i s not to be laughed at withsuch trickery as thi s ! I wi l l j o in Arnold under thewall s of Quebec with all haste possible

,and by my

sword , I swear that I -wil l eat d inner on ChristmasDay in Quebec

,or in hell !”

Rising angri ly,and strid ing back and forth

,he

suddenly stopped and ordered :

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1 I O CROSSED SWORDS

rightly called a just anger,and would fain give

proof of my regret . In what way can I g rant youfavor ?”

“ Recal l the order for Davenant’s arrest, was

the quick reply .

With reluctance the General made answer, saying :My word i s pledged to do your desire . Ye

plead well for him,an’ i f ye were not so excellent

a sold ier, Vanrosfeldt, methinks ye might rival at

the bar our forest Demosthenes,Patrick Henry of

Vi rginia . Ye are not often thus soft of heart .What i s the meaning of this melt ing mood ? See toit that ye l et n one of these Canadian belles touchyour heart . Doubtless there are fai r Colonialmaidens who would look with no i l l eye upon yourwooing .

”

Were it so,I am debtor for thei r favor to one

so unworthy, General .Consider i f there be not some damsel in our

own Boston, or other fa ir New England town,whom ye can regard with favor

, for I have thoughtth is se

’

enn ight past that I saw ye look with tookindly eyes upon the sweet Phyl l i s, an

’ take myword for i t,

’twi ll only lead to harm . This i s not ime for love- making. Take good counsel

, Van

rosfeldt, an

’ storm not Cupid ’s batteries in thi s cam

paign ,his superior counsel led .

Turning to his advisor, with a serious but determined ai r, i n measured words that carried withthem conviction of thei r weight

, Vanrosfeldt, withdignity , yet with respect, made answer :We l ive, sir , in times when truth and openness

ALARM BELLS RING I I I

are most needful , and even were i t otherwise, candorhath ever been a frame of mind for which I havestriven so now I tel l you, General , that the conquesto f this Province is not more the desire of your heartthan that I win thi s maid i s dear to mine .”

“ This then i s why ye plead so feel ingly for thefather . Well

,he shall go for the nonce , but when

I return from Quebec with Carleton at my chariotwheel

,to this Davenant must be meted out h is j ust

deserts ; and in the meantime we wil l make use ofhim . He shal l bear to Carleton, whom I fain wouldspare the horrors of a s iege

, our demands for hissurrender ; as in spite of his recent double - deal ing,I sti l l remember him as once my comrade in armsand fel low - sold ier . ”

A s day after day passed,every waking hour was

fil led with keen and intense emotion and uncon

trollable restlessness for Therese de L ér ie. Herpenchant for the handsome sold ier

,under stress of

hi s undisguised admiration of Phyll i s and his umconcealed indifference to herself

,developed into a

reckless infatuation ; every other sentiment andaffection seeming to be swallowed up in her passionfor him

,and a mad j ealousy of her unconscious

rival . Her changeful moods of despondency,alternating with fits o f exaggerated cheerfulness

,

were taken as attributable to her grief for the lossof her brother ’s companionship

,and her constant

attendance at church was hail ed as,a beneficent

result .She requested that she might be allowed to go

to matins and vespers unattended ; and as her deepening piety was considered to be sufficient safeguard ,

I 1 2 CROSSED SWORDS

she was permitted to fol low her bent undisturbed .

Although she daily left her home with the apparently pious intent ion of devotion

,. i t was not to the

altar her steps were d i rected , but to Place d’

A rmes,

the square upon which the church stood ,and where

the troops were daily dri l led . There , hidden in theporch , she watched their evolutions , among all thebluecoats seeing only him whose every graceful ,sold ierly movem ent added fuel to the fire of her

consuming love .A s the month d rew to a close

,the rains and dull

skies o f the autumn gave way to the clear, crispdays that usher in the early Canadian winter. Onone such

,a heavy fal l of snow had turned the

sombre greys and browns of the town into thewhiteness of the clouds, and every angle of chimneyand roof- curve was softened against the blue of thesky, the evergreen trees bending beneath theircrystal - white burden .

In the gleam of the afternoon sun the westwardlooking casements glowed in the ruddy flame

,mak

ing the young town,with its church spires

,great

gables , and many- windowed monasteri es,l ook not

unl ike some old - world hamlet on the Rhone,or

among the brown hill s o f Tus cany .

Tempted by the beauty of the day, and the clearsheets of i ce which had formed in sheltered placesalong the shore, a party of skaters , j ust before thehour of sunset

,passed down the street known as

Rue jacques Cart ier, and soon were gl iding over thecrystal surface

,which part ial ly covered the swi ft

current beneath,but which in mid—stream was sti ll

flowing and open , as was usual in November .

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I 1 4 CROSSED SWORDS

the treacherous , smooth surface . He tried to shout,but the words seemed frozen on his l ips . He fel l ,but regardless of pain

,pressed forward, curs ing his

inabi l i ty to move faster,as he saw the gl id ing b lue

figure swi ftly lessening the distance to the cruel .gaping hole waiting to receive her . Oh, he thoughtin an agony

,i f only he were on the skates with

which many a t ime he had measured his skil l onthe streams of Connect icut with his boyhood

’sfr iends

,that with a wild dash he might be in time

to save her . At last , in a frantic cry of“ Danger !

Danger !” his voice reached her ears,and turning

suddenly, she reco iled in terror from the dark ,

j agged - edged depth roll ing so near to her feet .With a terrified shriek she darted from the alreadycrackl ing ice

,and clear ing it

,fell into hi s out

stretched arms,as she gasped : You have saved my

l ife !”

A s he looked into the sweet , frightened face, andfel t the nervous cl inging of her a rms

,he crushed

her to him,and in tones of mingled pain and ecstasy

cried :Oh

,my darl ing ! my Phyl l i s, had I seen you go

down into those black,foamy waters

,I should have

plunged in after you,for death with you were

dearer, sweeter than l i fe without you !I am a rebel in your eyes

,

” he added bitterly,as

she withdrew from h is embrace ,“ and to- morrow

we march on to Quebec ; but tel l me, dearest one,that ye do not scorn me though I wear the uni formof an enemy . Mine honor i s p ledged to my flag

,

but my heart , sweet one, i s al l your own . Thechances of war tear me from you now ,

but,i f in

ALARM BELLS RING 1 I 5

more peaceful t imes I return, tel l me ye wil l notsay me nay ; and i f I ne

’er return,remember there

was one who l oved you with a love,than which no

man can ever feel a greater .With crimson flooding her pale cheeks

,and heart

beating tumultuously, she wondered what was the

strange new rapture which,at the words

,thr illed

her be ing with a joy and gladness never fel t before .Was thi s the grand passion

,to which b ut a few days

since she had declared hersel f a stranger ? Whenother l ips had asked it from her

,she had promised

to look down into her heart to find if love weretruly there . At that moment she knew it was , butnot for her boy- l over , Leon de L ér ie. Her affectionfor him was but the pale love of a ch ildhood ’splaymate ; but to this stranger, who scarce a weekago she had counted her foe

,she had unwittingly

given her w oman ’ s heart ; and , bewildered andfrightened

,she answered in a trembling whisper :

I wil l not say you nay, i f’ t i s within my power

and not against my duty .

”

Before he could reply,or add to h is impassioned

appeal , Therese skimmed up , with eyes full o f sympathy . Raising them to hi s face , while she claspedPhyll i s in her arms

, she said between l ittl e hyster ical gasps :O monsieur, my heart is ful l o f gratitude, you

are so brav e l—so noble - to have saved the l i feof my dearest friend —whil e ‘ in her pretty

,excit

able and customary fashion,she impetuously k i ssed

Phyll i s on both cheeks . Suddenly,apparently over

come by her em otions, she sank on the ice in a

fainting fit, and was borne in h is arms to the bank .

CROSSED SWORDS

where,after retard ing as long as was possibl e her

return to consciousness, with a flutter of the eyel ids,

and a soft sigh,she looked up into his face

,the

image of girl i sh sympathy and sweet ingenuousness .It was a pretty piece of act ing, clever enough to

deceive even a saint,and her heart beat rapturously

as he held her head upon his shoulder. Leaningdependently on his arm

,when sufficiently recovered

to ri se,as they slowly walked in the gathering grey

of the winter twil ight to the cariole which had beenhailed to convey them home , the dusk hid the colorflaming to her cheeks as she imagined , that in acertain look of happy excitation in hi s eyes , she hadseen traces of admiration for hersel f .

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1 1 8 CROSSED SWORDS

knew would,without doubt

,also involve in some

degree the family of Colonel Davenant ; and thusmight be removed from her path the one whosebeauty stood in her way .

Scheme after schem e flashed through her brain,as

to how she could supplant Phyll i s in Van rosfeldt’sfavor

,and she wrung her hands in an agony of

revolt that she must remain behind,when she would

gladly have walked barefoot a fter the retreatingranks

,or on her knees as pi lgrim to a shrine, only

to be near the man she adored .

In the impotence o f unrequited love, she took up

a l ittl e sketch of Phyll is , which Leon had traced ona drowsy

,happy afternoon of the past summer

,

which,with the crowding of events

,already seemed

so far away . Look ing at i t,ugly l ines of hatred

and revenge marred the fairness o f her face,and

she hissed through her white teeth , in a frenzy ofangerI hate you —hate you —hate you l—Phyll is

Davenant,for i f i t were not for these smooth looks

and baby face, h e might have loved me first .

Would that it were the days of the great de Medici ,and I had her skil l and cunning

,that with poi soned

glove or deadly perfumed kerch ief I might strike

you dead ere ever you should reach his arms .I f i t e ’er befal l that fate shal l put you in my power,know that no false p ity shall spare you nor girl i shqualm of conscience baulk me in my purpose tocrush you or spoi l your fai r name and fortunes asI do thi s !” and throwing the portrai t under her feet ,she trampled upon it in an uncontrol lable fury ofpassion

,until

,weari ed

,she sank into a seat and

PARTINGS I 1 9

buried her hot cheeks between her hands, to cool thefever of unrestrained excitement which burnedthem scarl et .A step approached along the corr idor

,paused at

her door,and after a l ight knock

,her mother

entered . Startled from her brooding posture,and

picking up the picture hasti ly and secreting it, she

rose,and trying to smooth out the signs of agitation

from her face,said meekly : What i s it mother ?”

Be seated,my child

,I have somewhat I would

say to you . Therese,your father and mother are

grieved to see your sadness,which even now has

driven the smil e from your face,and your pining for

your brother,from whom we were forced to

,

part

you . I wil l not hide from you , that seeing thestrong l ikeness between yoursel f and the face of thatComtesse Jacquel ine whose portra i t hangs abovethe wainsc

’

ot—niche in the salon yonder, I havewatched with anxiety l est her tra its o f charactershould

,with her features

,have come down to you .

You know that she i t was who abetted the wickedCatherine de Medici in some of her darkest deeds .It has never been denied

,that

,to please that blood

thirsty mother of kings,she handed the poisoned

gloves to the innocent Queen Jeanne d ’

A l-bret whenrobing for the wedding of her son

,Henri of

Navarre, with Marguerite de Valoi s, the daughterof Catherine . We have observed with j oy yourmany prayers , and the d evot ion to the Church whichhas of late marked your behavior

,and

,fearing lest

this grie f and lonel iness may so work upon yourmind as to do you hurt

,I have come to say that we

would have you wed your cousi n and betrothed,

1 2 0 CROSSED SWORDS

Raoul St . Leger . We had hoped not to lose youere a few more years had added to your wisdom,

but for many reasons we now deem it best that themarriage should take place at once . Life and fortune are unstable in times such as these

,and the

enemy we saw leave thi s morning have in theirhands our country ’s destiny and l ikewise ours . I fthey reduce Quebec, your father

’s al legiance to theBrit i sh crown may cost him his estate

,and mayhap

h is l iberty . Your present conduct shows you to beno longer a heedless chi ld , but a woman, w i th deepand tender feel ing ; so we would have you wed yourcousin . Once h is wife, and in our own dearFrance, this country

’ s fortunes cannot affect yours,

and thus would be taken from our minds a loadof care which these troublous t imes make hard tobear ”

But,mother

,would you lose both your children

at once ? And I am young,scarce n ineteen yet . ”

I was your mother,child

,at this same age ; and

Raoul loves you . France favors thi s new rev olu

t ion , and the Marquis de Lafayette, whose wife ,Adrienne de Naolles

,i s the daughter of my dearest

friend , makes common cause w ith these Colonial s ;as I know ful l wel l you do yoursel f. By marriagewith a Cheval ier of France you can

,without treason ,

Openly espouse i t . ”

And thus make mysel f,by al l the laws of war,

your enemy !”“ Nay

,child

,you would not

,for howe ’er this

struggle ends , we , your father and mysel f, as soonas you are establ ished mistress of the Chateau St .Leger

,wil l set sai l for Fra nce and j oin you there .

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1 2 2 CROSSED SWORDS

safety and j oining Raoul,whom we already look

upon as another son . We are the more anxious tolose no time , a s our friends , the Davenants , will bearus company, Monsieur being the bearer of dispatches from General Montgomery to S ir Guy,touching his intentions on Quebec unless res i stanceis abandoned .

”

With an alacr ity which her m other thoughtaugured well for her scheme

,Therese immediately

began the arrangement of her ribands and laces ,which form ed so important a part of her toilet , saying with kindl ing eyes : “ I will make ready with allhaste . ”

Accordingly,some days later

,a travell ing party

of ladies and gentlemen al ighted at the St . John’s

Gate,Quebec . Address ing the watch in charge,

Colonel Davenant sa id :We are a party of loyal British subj ects , accom

pan ied by the lad ies of our famil i es, and seek admiss ion within these walls . ”

“ My orders are to admit no one within thegate , the man repl ied .

“ But mine i s an especial case ; I, am ColonelDavenant

,carry ing diplomatic communications from

General Montgomery,which I have pledged my

word of honor to del iver personal ly into the Governor

’

s hands . Monsieur de L ér ie comes hither onprivate matters

,and craves for admission to j oin

relat ives now soj ourning with in the ci ty .

”

Before the guard could repeat his instructions,

Lieutenant Fraser,going his round of inspection,

and recogniz ing the names of those in conversat ionoutside , repl ied to the request of Colonel Davenant ,informing him :

PARTINGS 1 2 3

As the bearer of advices from Richard Montgomery

,Governor Carleton wil l refuse to receive

you . He has d eclared that no consideration w i llbe given to any conditions offered by the Commander of the armies of the United Colonies, now

invading h is dominions, whom he regards as rebelsaga inst the righteous autho ri ty o f their sovereignprince

,unless i t be to crave His Maj esty ’ s clemency

and pardon ; but as a member of S i r Guy’ s staff I

have no right or des ire to refuse you entrance into the city . I regret

,although cog nizant of Mon

s ieur de L ér ie’s loyalty, that , as the town i s alreadyplaced on short rations

,i t i s imperative that there

be put no further strain upon its slender resources .It wil l therefore be necessary that he and hi s familyfind lodgment in some habitation without the fortifications .

”

Colonel Davenant,turn ing to his friend , said with

feel ing °

“ It gives me extreme sorrow,de L ér ie

,that the

usages of war take no cognizance of the sen t imentsof friendship or hospital i ty

,and it i s with grief that

I feel we must part company .

”

We will hope for happier t imes,was the reply,

and we are not yet in extremity . My littleThe

’

rese shal l go to the Abbess , her aunt, in yonderconvent ; and Madame and I wil l proceed to theseign i

-ory of our friend Le Moyne,where no doubt

we wil l find ready welcome ; so ad ieu , my goodfriends, and with a s imulation of cheer fulness theywere far from feel ing

,the party separated ;

As the two men clasped hands,and the women

with tears embraced,they knew full wel l that famine

1 2 4 CROSSED SWORDS

and bloodshed would do thei r deadly work ere theirpaths would meet again . Less than an hour laterthe Mother Superior was lead ing Therese along thewhitewashed corridors to the pr ivacy of the cloisters . They hastened with hurried tread andaverted faces lest they should encounter any of herunwelcome soldier - guests

, who had , in spite of thetearful entreaties of the timid nuns , quartered themselves in the convent

,and to whom the clean bare

wall s and s impl e fare of the s isterhood seemedluxurious . The Abbess whispered behind her hand ,as she glanced fearfully around

“Ah , my dear child , I fear thi s is no place foryou , for these holy walls are but an army barracks .Our quiet refectory i s soi led with the continualtramp of armed men ; and we scarce can go to matinsbut we must hear the clang of swords without ourchapel doors . Each day we fast and pray that 16Ban D ieu would send them hence .

’Tis said theycome of praying stock ; I would to Heaven I couldsay they fasted too,

for our larders and granariesare stripped bare for thei r service . The blessedVi rgin only knows wher e it wil l end —and careful ly lowering her voice and looking cautiouslyaround , as i f fearing the very wall s might hear, shewhispered : And this i s not al l ; thei r clothing,when they came

,was scarce decent

, so torn andworn was it with thei r rough j ourney through thewoods . And hearken

,child

,

’ ti s said so pressed werethey there with hunger

,that they kil led and ate their

very dogs— unclean beasts,unfit for Christ ian men

to eat —But haste,I must hide you well

,my l ittl e

one !”

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1 2 6 CROSSED SWORDS

sel f outdoes him in prayers and vigils . I f word ofit reach the Holy See at Rome, who knows whatgood may come of i t ? Now look to it, S ister Therese,as we wil l cal l you , that you keep your eyes benthumbly on the ground

,and let not these men catch

sight of the bloom upon your cheek, l est they mightforget your vei l .”

That night,in a l ittl e cel l under the roof of the

convent,Therese laid her head on a hard pi llow on

a pallet of straw . The moonbeams which streamedthrough the uncurtained window were her onlyl ight

,and the plastered wall was !bare and cold

looking,but she found i t the sweetest rest ing- place

her l i fe had ever known,for pausing curiously by

the door o f the refectory,hersel f unseen

,she had

caught sight of Maj or Vanrosfeldt in earnest conversation with Arnold .

As in the sanctuary of the conven t she passed thedays and weeks in the quiet , monotonous rounds ofp iety and charity

,the S isters

,unsuspicious

,did not

notice a pair of d ark eyes flash from beneath herprotecting coi f at the s ight of a certain brown - hairedsoldier passing by ; the ir own being bent t imidly andprudently to the ground at the sound of a spur orthe s ight of a blue - and - buff coat . The wearer ofone was never absen t from the thoughts of Therese ,i t mattered not how her hands were occupied , andeven at her devot ions she could not bar the longingfor him from her mind . In her dreams

,night after

night, she saw hi s face and fancied hersel f free fromthe restrict ions that d ivided them

,and which at

t imes she felt she could not much longer endure .

CHAPTER VIII .

WITH the setting in of w inter , . and the enemyst il l at the gates

,over the doomed city the phantom

of famine spread out batl ike wings ; cut off from theoutside world and unable to obtain suppl i es , i t wasin sad stress and ful l of s ickness . Publ ic and privatestores were carefully measured

,and had run so low

that peri l of starvat ion was daily becoming moreimminent and threatening . Wood was so scarce andimposs ible to obtain that on many a hearth therewas noth ing but the ashes of fires which had goneout for want of fuel

,and on others , going up in

flame,the wood of fences

,gates or even furniture,

which necessi ty demanded for household combus

t ion . The children of the extreme poo r cried invain for the food which the em pty cupboards deniedto the ir hunger

,and which the meagre dole from

headquarters only whetted . Outs id e of the wallswere wel l - filled storehouses and barns bursting withthe summer ’s harvest

,but between them a watchful

foe kept sleepless v igil . Day after day pinchingWant knocked at mansion and cottage al ike withincreasing insistence

,and along the narrow streets

,

that erstwhile had been bright with pl ea sure—seekers,

and were wont to resound to the l ight laughter of

gay dames and demoiselles , gaunt Hunger dogged1 2 7

1 2 8 CROSSED SWORDS

the steps of r ich and poor without discrimination .

Stil l the commanders had no thought of yield ing,the stern ramparts seeming as obstinately defiant aswere the triple w all s o f Jerusalem to the legions ofTitus .The month of December dragged weari ly on, and

in a tal l,grey house j ust within the fortifications

,

Phyll i s watched day and night by the beds ide of hermother

,who tossed restlessly to and fro in the burn

ing fever of a mal ignant malady by which she had

been suddenly stricken . Tortured by witnessing herpain

,the girl was almost thankful when at last

del irium blotted out the sufferer’s real ization of thepresent with all its want and wretchedness

,and

her mind wandered away to other days and happierscenes . On an afternoon when the sett ing sun wassinking cheerl essly behind the hil l s

,and snow was

dreari ly fall ing,she was s itting in a dull si lence of

despair by the sick woman ’s s ide ; no sound breakingthe eerie quiet save the whirl of the wind outside .Waking from her uneasy sleep

,her mother called

her name, some thought o f the past having seizedher beclouded lbrain

,as she whispered

Phyll i s,child

, d o you say you fancy you see apicture in the fire ? Does i t m ean that we are goingback to England—our dear England As a bellfrom a church nearby rang out the hour, her facesuddenly l ighted up

,and hal f rising from her pi l

she exclaimed in p iti ful exci tement : “ I s not

the chime of the old minster ? Are we thenagain at home ? Methought when I went to sleepthat i t was winter

,dreary

,cold winter

,in a d istant

land ; but that must have been a dream,only a ter

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1 30 CROSSED SWORDS

for there was l ittl e to sati sfy i t in the almost emptylarder . In the dusk of com ing morning she heardfootsteps pass on the snowy streets , and lookingl istlessly out saw the dark figures of monk and nunhurrying by on errands of mercy to the sick or dying ; for every day the aged , and l ittl e, tender chi ldren

,were sinking under the rigors and privations

of the isolated, beleaguered town . At times she

recognized the heavy step of soldiers marching tomount guard or rel ieve the watches on the outworks .S o pressing were the needs of others beside hersel fthat she dared not expect or seek assistance ; so

there was naught to be done but wait for the end ,whatever i t might be. Suddenly there was a loudknocking at the entrance door, which echoedthrough the si lent chambers . Startled and trembl ing

,she sprang to her feet in frightened wonder as

to what it might betoken . Was it , she questionedhersel f in agitation

,an alarm that the city had

capitulated ? Or was it that help had come to herin her terr ibl e need ? With the cry on her l ip ,God grant i t may be so !” she hastened to answerthe summons .It chanced that the day before

,a young sailor

on his deathbed had cried for a priest that hemight be absolved for some crime lying heavi ly onhis conscience . In the lucid moments o f burningd i sease , the dying man had confessed , in whatseemed only the mad ravings of a disordered brain

,

hi s rem orse that wh ile aware that he was smittenwith the disease of smal lpox

,which was ravaging

the troops , he had voluntarily carri ed , two weeksbefore, a letter from his superior, Captain Temple,

THE MONKS 1 3 1

to fri ends who had but recently arr ived in thethreatened city . He owned that in a diabolical revenge for the falseness of the girl he loved in England

, who had deserted h im for hi s mate , he hatedher whole sex

,and !took a Satanic del ight in know

ing it was in his power to spoi l the beauty of another . He told the priest of the fair girl who inthe dusk had taken the letter from him

,thanking

him for it,unwitting of the taint of its passing

through his hands ; and how he had gloated over thefact that soon the loathsome disease would furrowand deface the soft p ink of her cheek . He beggedthat the holy father would ease hi s soul o f the loadupon it, by going to a certa in house on Rue St . Jean ,and having the fatal l etter burned

,that the con

tag ion might i f possibl e yet be stayed ; that he mightbe absolved and die in peace . The confessor shr iving him and performing the rites of the Church forthe dying

,promised that h is wishes should be car

ried out . In obed ience,there fore

,to his commands ,

before daybreak , a pri est was knocking at the doorof the house to which he had been directed

,and in

which apparently there was a case o f i l lness . Hesaw that a l ight burned in the chamber above

,which

on his summons was carr ied from the room . Hecould see through the glass panel

,as Phyl l is de

scended,that i t was borne in the hand of a young

girl .Oh

,man D im !

” he groaned,an ashen paleness

,

whiter than the pallor o f the cloi ster,covering his

features , It i s my Phyll i s , my love !”

Drawing his cowl about hi s face,he shrank back

into the deep shadow of the door,where

,see ing the

1 32 CROSSED SWORDS

dim outl ine of h is figure,the frightened gi rl uttered

an exclamati on of rel ief on d iscovering by his gownthe character o f the nocturnal vis itant . Fail ing torecognize the wearer in the uncertain l ight

,she

t imidly asked the nature of hi s errand .

In a voice made unfamil iar by scarcely controlledemotions

,in a few words he gave

,as he had been

bidden to do, the dead man’ s message“

Alas good Brother,”

she repl ied ,’Tis well

he died in the comfort of thinking that hi s evi l deedmight be prevented ; but my mother l ies in the chamber above stricken with the fel l d isorder . I am allalone

,for my father

,being an officer

,is not permit

ted to come to us lest the health of our tr00ps , uponwhich so much depends, shoud be endangered , andthey should suffer losses such as

,we are informed .

have fallen upon the camp of our enemy without thewal ls .”

Her l i stener s i lently bowed his head lower, in unspoken thanks to Heaven that i t was not she, whoseevery word rent hi s soul with anguish

,who was the

victim ; and a mad longing to tear off h is sacredrobes and clasp her to him for a moment almostoverpowered him . She continued '

It avails not now to burn the fatal letter , and although my faith i s other than that of one who wearsthese vestments

,I would crave your prayers

,good

Brother,that I may be spared to tend my mother

through the dreadful tortures which already scorchher very l i fe - blood

,and have so marred her gentle

face that i t bears no semblance to that which I remember since my cradle days . My task were not so

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1 34 CROSSED SWORDS

sol itude of his cell,because the love denied the

vowed Jesuit cel ibate sti ll burned in the heart ofLeon de L ér ie.

As each dreary night wore d ismally on ,before

the dawn broke , the call to prayers in the Jesuitmonastery hard by sounded sharp and clear on thefrosty air . Ere it ceased , the doors of the cellsopened noiselessly upon the ir heavy hinges , and themonks gl ided sil ently along the bare stone floors ofthe passage- ways to the d imly - l ighted chapel wi thinthe wal ls, where the tapers fl ickered among paintings and images of saints and martyrs . Some of theBrothers

,with round

,happy faces

,j ogged cheer

fully along,with a pleas ing sense of duty performed

in this world and a certainty of favor in the next ;upon whom the austeri ty of thei r vows seemed tos it but l ightly . Others , driven thither by the stresso f s in or sorrow

,with marks of spi ritual confl ict on

their faces,muttered prayers as they continued the

devotions by which,through the long night - watches

,

they had sought to bring peace to thei r troubledsouls . Some

,with the white hairs of old age among

the ring of tonsured locks,with the calmly serene

look which had come from the years of seclusionin the quiet monastery

,had forgotten the outside

world and their turbulent youth over the seas, andwith calmness waited for the day when the Angelusshould fal l on their unhearing ears , and they toowould be la id in the vaults over which thei r feetwere tread ing .

At t imes into some narrow cel l there might comea vis ion

,a dream of a sun - flooded vi llage o f old

France—of eyes l it with love—of laughter sweet

THE MONKS 1 35

as the song of the thrush in the May - tree . Unsoughtthere might come memories of the clasp of soft ,tender hands

,of shy, warm k i sses in a sheltering

screen of vine leav es , or a woman’ s cl inging arms

and heart - breaki ng tears of part ing—thoughts thatpierce and “burn . But no regret for the sweetness ofthe past, no rebell ion against i ts pain and loss , mightbe cheri shed within those grim wall s with sighs orlonging, or with penance and flagellations of re

pentance they must be banished from mind andheart . They knew the cross of thei r consecrationmust be borne in s ilence and submission through theslow passage of the long years

,unti l that fair day

dawns when crowns are given .

Among them,missal in hand

,walked one who

had recently sought admission to the order . In theseverely simple robe which he had voluntari ly assumed on laying aside his customary gay atti re

,and

with a rapt express ion of almost agonized devotion

,the novice

,Jerome

,the name in rel igion by

which he chose to be known,would scarcely be

recognized as Leon de L ér ie. Taking h is placeamong those worshipping around the altar

,hi s clear

young voice rang out in a passionate response to thechanting of the aged priest

, who,in chasuble em

broidered by a fai r penitent of the Court of KingLouis, intoned the prayers and led the responses . Attheir conclusion the same solemn procession re

formed,and the chapel was again empty

,save for

the tarrying of the youthful brother, who,

prostratebefore an image of the Madonna

,cried : “

M ea

culpa ! M ea culpa maxima !” in contrit ion for the

mortal s in of love for a woman .

1 36 CROSSED SWORDS

The letter which had carried the fatal contagionwas from Captain Temple

,and ran thus

On board the Vulture.

Dear Mistress Davenant —By trusty messengerI send greeting

,and express ion of my anxiety on

your behal f . A siege of the ci ty by the invad ingarmy i s inevitable . Arnold ’s command has, in spiteo f the utmost vigilance, succeeded in crossing theriver . Montgomery ’s force

,which has been waiting

some twenty mi les away for the resul t of the nego~

tiations for treaty ,which your father was the means

of bringing to the Governor,but which he refused

to take into consideration,has now j o ined Col .

Arnold here . I t i s apparently their i ntention toimmediately begin the attack .

My mind is fi lled with horror,and my soul re

coi ls at the thought Of the intentions of these men,

desperate in their resolve to reduce the city at thissevere season ; and of your suffering the appall ingmiseries of a sack of the town . In your ignoranceof what such an event would enta il

,i t i s not pos

sibl e for you to fully real ize to what terrible measures victor ious troops in such circumstances sometimes resort . Far be i t from me to recount to yourinnocent ears the wantonness which at times troopsintoxicated by victory and blood—lust di splay ; but Iwould save you from the mere breath o f i t, evenwere my own l i fe to be the forfeit . With the approaches to the town to watch

,and the river to

patrol as wel l as the ice and advanced season willpermit

,I must remain with my ship ; but which , in

the event of your fleeing the city,i s at your service,

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CHAPTER IX .

TH E F L I GH T .

AT Holland House , Montgomery and his officerswere taking serious counci l . The former , pacing toand fro,

with arm s f ol ded moodily across hi s breast,paused before Arnold , and said terselyUnti l Quebec i s taken, Canada i s unconquered ,

and it must be by siege, investment or storm Thefirst i s out of the question from the d ifficulty of making t renches in a Canadian winter

,and the greater

difficulty of l iving in them when made . We arewithout engines or engineers capable of mining

,and

the fewness and lightness of our arti l l ery make thebreaking of the walls fol ly to attempt !”

’Ti s but a matter o f time and patience,General ,

was the confident rej oinder . We must starveCarleton out

,which wil l be

,I feel assured

,an easy

task, as a deserter from hi s rank s, who j oined usthis morning

,asserted that their straits are such

that a few more weeks and a further holding out

wil l be impossible . ”

To us it i s al so impossible, Arnold ; for forgetnot that the term of enl i stment of the troops underour command expires with the last .day of the year,now but two weeks hence ; and it i s needless for meto remind you that many of the men are al readywaxing impati ent of th is slow dallying along theseshores . I f, therefore, a blow is to be struck, itmust be ere the New Year’s daybreak . To the

1 38

THE FLIGHT 1 39

storming we must come,and that without delay !

Nevertheless I confess that to see the city in flamesat thi s severe season of the year

,and the carnage,

confusion and plunder which must be the con se

quence, fil l s me with horror . After the manner inwhich my overtures have been met

,I have not the

reproach,however, to make my own conscience, that

I have not warned them of their danger and folly .

”

Of a surety,General , their blood shal l be upon

their own heads ; but I own to some m isapprehens ion of the tacti cs needful for success . Were theplace of ordinary strength we might perforce proceed at once to act ive hosti l i ty, but without sufficientordnance or engineering contrivances

,that i s not to

be thought of . ”

We will have recourse to stratagem ,Arnold

,for

once before thi s place has fallen by its ~use. S ide byside

,Wolfe and hi s men cl imbed up these crags

,hav

ing outwitted Montcalm’

s sentries,and won the

day . I shall soon give proof that i f Guy Carletonhas forgotten

,Richard Montgomery has not . We

wil l scale these barriers with ladders,and l ike Romeo

at the balcony of Juli et, wil l teach them that war,l ike love

,laughs at locksmiths . These clumsy Brit

i shers will find their bul l - dog obstinacy scarce amatch for Yankee cunning . We are reduced to th isbeing deficient in arti l lery

,and not strong enough

for an open escalade . ”“ This , General ,

” said Vanrosfeldt, who had beenl i stening eagerly

,is only possible under cover of

night, and that one of unusual storm or darkness,such as I am glad to say i s not uncommon at thi st ime of the year . ”

1 40 CROSSED SWORDS

True, Vanrosfeldt, and it i s my purpose to wait

with what patience I may for such an one, and wemust e ither quit al l pretensions to valor or possessourselves of this fortress !”

With eyes blaz ing and soul on fire at the magn ificent daring of the scheme , Vanrosfeldt suddenlyexclaimed :Grant me

,General

,the priv il ege of leading this

forlorn hope,with forty men whom I shal l prepare

for this romantic means of scal ing these ramparts .With a sk il l equal to that of the lovelorn Montague ,with ladder of ropes on the palace of the Capuletsin old Verona , we will by subtlety cheat these walls ,which would wel l defy the battering- rams of a

Pompey .

”

Accordingly,with the zeal of a Trajan dril l ing his

legionaries to march,heavi ly laden with armor and

camp baggage, Van rosfeldt caused his men to con

struct ladders o f the dimensions he thought ad v isable . Persistently

,and with only requisite inter

miss ion,he fami l iarized them with the novel tactics ,

unti l at the end of a week they could nimbly mountthe ladders

,burdened with their equipments

,and

even in the darkest night scale an obstruction withease and celer ity . Consumed with hot impatiencefor the moment to strike the blow ,

he constantlyemployed the hours of the short winter days in becoming famil iar with every detai l of the fortificat i ons and the nature of the ground which lay between them and those determined on thei r capture .At every gate and on every point on the rampartsBrit i sh sentinel s day and night paced to and fro,buffeted by wintry wind and storm . Rations had

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1 42 CROSSED SWORDS

That i s the flag of England,and never shall

these gates be thrown open to admit its foes ! Honorbefore l i fe !On Christmas Day the watch of eight bellsrang on board the Vulture

,and out over the waters

o f the St . Lawrence, which the effect of the tidehad prevented from freez ing sol idly ; the rocky sideso f Cape Diamond sending .i t echoing along theshore . Here and there in the town pale - faced wo

men hurri ed over the frosty pavements,some having

sought the churches and chapels for morning prayers

,glad that the quiet hour in a measure calmed the

suspense and anxiety which hung l ike a pal l overthe sorely—beset city . All barter and trading seemedto be forgotten in the hourly

'

d read of what portended

,and every able- bodied man was detailed for

sentry and picket duty .

“

In the great stone houses,perched on the towering

promontory,no Christmas cheer or fest ive song

made rafter and wall ring with merriment, and nogay greetings passed ’twixt fri end and neighbor, for,from choice as wel l as necessity, i t was a day of

fasting rather than of feast ing .

In Rue Saint Jean a door Opened,and from it a

young girl emerged,whose sl ight form illy fitted

the dark,fur - trimmed pelerine

,which in happier

days had so well outl ined its youthful roundnessand grace . Trembl ingly she closed the door andpassed along close to the wal l as i f craving its protection

, or in case of weakness its support, as she

Sped toward the Castle St . Louis . Seeking to avoidthe notice of the guards

,who at short intervals

paced the ramparts,she reached the spot where the

THE FLIGHT 1 43

outworks overhung the cl iffs nearest to the fort . Asharp pang of fear paralyzed her lest her faceshowed signs o f the plague

,which she had begun

to hope Heaven had spared her , when she saw thata priest

, who was passing on the road , glancing ather for a moment as she stopped , suddenly recoiled ,in what seemed to her horror and surpri se, andturning abruptly away

,quickly entered a church

near by . S o hurried and determined was hi s ev identeffort to avoid encountering her, that she fai led torecognize in the apparently timorous monk Leon deL ér ie ; who , in the brief encounter, saw she wasfleeing her home

,but dared not seek to stay her or

ask whither she was bent on going . Hastening toreach the battlements

,she l eaned over , and afraid

of the dizz iness which seized her brain , dropped asi lken kerch ie f which had encircled her slenderthroat . Thinking of the coincidence , that she shouldbe compel led by stress of ci rcumstances to have re

course to the same device to attract attention forwhich she had chidden Therese a short t ime before ,she laughed hysterical ly

,saying hal f aloud :

It i s for a firm,true friend I thus make s ign, and

not for one of those hated foes whose loathedblue coat she saw in an American soldier pass ing ata distance below . At the sight of i t she gave a quickgasping sob at the thought that she had given herlove to one who wore it , and was ev en then downthere somewhere

,among those sworn to bring r uin

and death to her people and kinsmen . Turning andquickly retracing her steps

,she hurried back to pre

pare for fl ight from the town .

Captain Temple,who daily at that hour had care

1 44 CROSSED SWORDS

fully scanned the face of the cl iff,saw at last the

white signal fluttering from the wal l . A flood of

honest joy flushed brow and cheek as he commandedtwo of hi s men to make immediate search for hers ilent token ; whilst he himself wen t below to

arrange for her comfort,as reverently as i f i t were

a princess of the blood - royal Who was seekingsanctuary from danger .The young Colonial sold ier she had seen was

quick - sighted,and happening to glance up at the

moment the white hand had dropped what he rightly divined was a s ignal of some sort, mayhap a signof an intrigue

,for which he himself had a pass ion ;

he watched the silken thing fal l and catch on a hawthorn bush a few yards away . Already t ired of

being deprived of the companionship of the fairersex

,with whom he knew his fascinat ions o f manner

and handsome person made him espec ially acceptable

,he strode up through the snow - bank a nd se

cured Phyll i s ’s neckerchief . He laughed gleefullyat the correctness of hi s surmise

,when he found

pinned in a corner of it a smal l unsealed note in a

del icate handwrit ing .

Aaron .

” he laughed to himsel f, you luckyscapegrace

,you are in your usual good fortune to

thus stumble upon a love - tryst of some kind . I trustthi s b illet i s not in that outlandish French l ingo thathas so tormented my ears since ever we crossed Overinto this luckless province . Ha !” he exclaimed ,as he unfolded it

,by my word it is in as fai r Eng

l i sh as any missive I have ever read from good Mistress Shippen , wherein she doth labor with me tostrive to fol low in the steps of the sa intly JonathanEdwards,

’ as she styles my grandsire,

” and he read :

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1 46 CROSSED SWORDS

how I might in safety reach your ship , and whetherwisely or not I have decided thus .From my father’ s official position and promin

ence in the town,I feel assured that I shall have

l ittl e d ifficul ty in passing the guard to go withoutthe walls ; which I shal l essay to do by the St . John

’ sgate . At nine o ’clock to - night I shall be on the pathleading from it to the Lower Town . A messengermay recognize me by a white scarf o f s i lk woundloosely around my neck . I pray you do not failme .

V ours in much trep idation,

PHYLLIS DAVENANT .

he thought,truly it hath a sweet

and winning sound,an’ i f thi s fai r lady in distress

bear aught of resemblance to thi s dainty lettering ,the lovely Phyll i s would be worth the risking something for . Aaron

,you are indeed a fortunate i f

somewhat gracel ess rascal,for the sweet goddess of

love ever seems to give special heed to the guidingof your ventures into pleasant ways ; and truly ather alluring Shrine kneels no more devout worshipperthan yoursel f and Aaron Burr laughed sardonically

,

as loitering in the vicin ity,he saw two seamen from

the ship set forth to search for the token amongthe icy rocks . With the Skil l of sailors who

could cl imb to the main - mast in the trough of thesea or walk a yard - arm in the teeth of the wildestnor - easter that ever blew

,they scrambled over the

crags , and examined with d i l igence every hollowbetween , unti l completely baffled . Thinking it hopelessly lost in some snowdrift, they went back to the

THE FLIGHT 1 47

vessel to inform thei r captain of the fruitlessness ofthei r quest . On hearing the result of the search ,he was distracted with confl ict ing emotions . Thati t was the preconcerted signal o f distress he hadno doubt , but in the absence of an understand ing ofher condit ion and purpose

,action on his part was

an impossibi l i ty . He walked h is quarter- deck tornwith misgivings

,h is fear lest some evi l Should befall

her wringing h is heart with torture,in h is passion

ate powerlessness to give response to her appeal .Heavily muflfled in a long cloak of grey camlet

cloth which had been her mother’s,and whose ample

dim ensions admirably disguised the girl i shness Ofher figure

,with a bundle in her hand and a white

scarf wound around her throat,Phyll i s at the hour

of nine moved nervously along the crooked streetsand reached the heavy

,i ron - studded postern thr ough

which she hoped to be able to pass . Addressing thesentry at the gate

,she was intensely rel ieved to find

he was of her father’ s regiment,having at t imes

acted as hi s orderly and messenger between mil itaryquarters and hi s home . Being famil iar with the faceof hi s commander ’s daughter

,he offered no opposi

t i on to her purpose ; his respect for hi s superiors , anda strict sense of di scipl ine, not, however , preventing his warning her against the danger and ri sk of

such a proceeding at so late an hour . He was,how

ever,assured , when point ing to her bundle she ex

pla ined that fri ends were waiting for her on the outside

, who would conduct her from the threatenedtown to a place of refuge .

As the gate clanged heavily behind her,and she

looked out at the bleak stretch of snow,l ightened

1 48 CROSSED SWORDS

only by the rays of the great white moon and thetwink l ing of l ights in the windows of the part ofthe town skirting the r iver

,She shrank back terri

fied but the spars and black hulk of a frost - caughtShip

,with a lanthorn slung at the bow ,

which lay inthe ice at the dock

,fil l ed her with hope . Moving

out of the shadow of the wal l,she looked timidly

and anxiously around for her rescuer, who, shedoubted not for a moment

,was near at hand , and

ready to do her service . Before she had taken a

dozen steps,the figure of a man in uni form , which

the uncertain l ight prevented her from recognizing,stepped out from behind a projecting buttress ofthe ramparts, and touching hi s hat, addressed herby name, and requested to be permitted to conducther to her fri ends

, who impatiently awaited her . Atonce

,without a thought of guile or a susp icion of

deception,she fol lowed , all her attention being d i

rected to the care required to clamber over the steepand snowy decl ivity leading down the hi ll side . Um

famil iar with the neighborhood , and in all goodfa ith , she did not observe her d irection

,un ti l sud

d en ly stopping, her conductor di smissed h is assumedcharacter

,caught her in his arms

,and j estingly at

tempted to get a look at the face hidden under herhood . Shrinking from him and terrified

, she struggled , and angri ly promised that Capta in TempleShould be made fully acquainted with the rude conduct of hi s messenger ; adding as lofti ly as a queenmight command an insolent vassalLead on

,S i r

,ye shall answer for this !

With al l the pleasure in l i fe,my sweet Engl ish

rose, but in good sooth no further than yonder

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1 50 CROSSED SWORDS

for pity,entreating for clemency in thi s shame and

affront to her maidenhood . With white, tremblingl ips she stammered :Surely you are but in j est, fai r S i r , and cannot

mean to do me hurt !”

Looking d own upon the lov elv ,suppl iant figure at

his feet,that which had begun as merely an inci

dent upon which to turn a barrack- room j oke ,roused the dark passions which were rampant in thisman ’s nature

,and which even in hi s youth won for

him the repute of a Lothario . An evi l l ight kindledin hi s handsome eyes

,and with an unholy j o

'

y hethanked his stars that a lucky chance had thrownthi s beaut iful

,unprotected maiden into hi s power .

Trying to take her hand,he said

To escort you back to the city gates at such an

hour would cast a slur on your maidenly propri ety .

Be content to bide here instead , an’ i f i t be known

that you are safely lodged within these most decorous wal ls

,no i l l wi l l be thought of i t . Dost think

that Aaron Burr,who i s known as the most gallant

squire o f dames from Jamestown to Boston,will

re fuse Shelter to a distressed damsel belated uponthis snowy waste It desolates me to say you nay ,sweet one ; so be persuaded , an

’ ye shal l have safelodgment and the privacy and courtesy due to suchbeauty

,unti l your heart melts and you will permit

me to kiss these ripe l ips o f your own sweet accord .

I promise me I shal l not have long to wait, forAaron Burr i s not l ightly baulked in any purposeupon which he has set his heart . ”

Suddenly a thought struck him,and being wil l ing

THE FLIGHT 1 5 1

for once to forego h is own selfish designs for thesake of the cause so dear to him

,he sa id plausib ly

“ Come,my sweet capt ive

,I am moved by your

tears, and will grant you the boon you ask for asl ight favor on your part . Give me the pass - word ofthe night, an

’ I wil l r isk l i fe and limb to do yourdes ire and convey you to yon ship .

Forgetting for a moment her own fears in thegreater one of the city ’ s safety , the soldier

’ s daughter rose to her feet

,and drawing hersel f up

,in a

voice cold and clear as an icicl e,with the l ight of

battle flash ing from her eyes,made answer :

I know it not ! The watchman at the gate wasknown to me and did nOt require it ,

” and with curling l ip and burning scorn , she continued ,

“ and hadI knowledge of i t

,not even the welcome boon of

rel ief from the torture of your hated presence wouldwring it from me l”

Seeing her sp irit,and admir ing her even more in

anger than in the so ftness of her tears , he repl i ed :Flouncing thus , my cold , white snow - drop , ye

are lovely,an ’ as ye choose then my escort to the

convent,be i t so. We will proceed thither at once :

but first dry these eyes,for though l ike blue—bell s wet

with dew,I fancy not a Niobe . ”

The next morning the good Mother Superior ,with a look of deep d istress agitating her usuallyplacid face , cal led S ister Therese to her, and toldher that the young sold ier

,Monsieur Burr

,had in

formed her that he had found a young and beauti fulgirl wandering by the riverside . Seeming to be ingreat d istress o f mind at the failure of friends tomeet her at a place appoin ted

,he had offered her

1 5 2 CROSSED SWORDS

the hospital ity of the cloisters,knowing full well

that the kind Abbess would welcome the stray lambto the fold ; and the good woman continued ,Therese

,I l ike it not . It i s a plausibl e and fair

sounding story,but I scarce can give i t credit ; but

the more unworthy i s she,the more it behooves us

to give her Christi an succor . Many an outcast Mag~

dalene,lost to thi s world and the next , hath dri fted

hither,and with penance and alms sought Heaven ’s

favor,and won great repute for holy deeds and

sanctity in after l i fe . I would not off end the purityof your young mind with such dark thoughts o f S in

,

but I need you in this case . The S isters, so long used

to the quiet of convent l i fe before these rough,sin

ful times , are so afra id , that thei r trembl ingl imbs would scarce carry them to that part of thebuilding where these soldiers now abide . Youthough l ittle more than a child

,are used to the ways

and manners o f the outs ide world,and have sterner

stuff in you ; S O I would have you minister to herneeds

,and carry refection to th i s poor wanderer

from the paths of right . But enter not,

into converse with her

,el se your pure Spirit might suffer

greater harm than from even the rude j okes of thewhole soldiery .

”

Therese , who had found it hard to measure herl ight steps to the solemn movements of a l i fe ofdevotion , could not repress a blush of pleasure atbeing permitted to somewhat relax the restricti onsi t imposed , and which so i l l accorded with her restless nature .

Her ri sing color was mistaken by Mother Ursulafor a sign of ingenuousness

,and as She watched her

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1 54 CROSSED SWORDS

dark eyes,which none knew better than he how to

use in laying s iege to a wom an ’ s heart . On reaching a door at the top of a fl ight of sta irs , he produceda key

,and with a deep bow

,threw it Open

,saying

to his prisoner , not suppos ing the l ittl e French nununderstood the Engl ish language :Here

,my sweet l innet, i s refreshment for you,

and lest ye should be minded to l eave this cage,in

which i t grieves me sore to keep you,I wil l wait

outside the door unti l thi s l itt l e raven - clad reclusewithdraws with me . It were vain to try to gainspeech with her

,as she knows not a word in our

tongue, and equally vain for you to beat your prettywings against these bars . Instead

,grant me the

kiss I craved,for I would I might have it of your

own free will,and ye shal l have t il l the New Year’s

day to offer it,but not another hour . Then I wil l

take i t ; for never hath i t been yet said of AaronBurr that he hath vainly sued for woman ’ s favor

,

”

and clos ing the door he left the two women faceto face .A wild throb of j oy darted through The

’

rese ’ sheart, and the color flooded her cheeks

,as she dis

covered,in the pale

,dej ected girl before her

,her

rival,Phyll is

,She hersel f being unrecogn ized in

her cleverly assumed disguise, and wi th the l ightof a cloudy morning coming but d imly through thedeep - set window .

Laying the tray down upon the bare table , thenun

,in a well—feigned voice

,said in Engli sh ,

“Eat,th is i s your breakfast .Pushing aside the food and grasp ing the nun’s

THE FLIGHT I 55

hands in a transport of rel ief at the sight of a woman ’ s face

,Phyll i s wi th tremb l ing lips cried :

“ Ah,good S ister

,a pit i ful Heaven hath sent

you hither . As you see, I am a prisoner, most unwill ingly

,in the power of th i s ruthless soldier , with

whom , I cal l Heaven to witness , I never hadspeech be fore last night .” Relating the ci rcumstances of her capture

, She begged the S i sterhood’s

intervention on her behal f,saying I f by their

help I safely reach my friends, a goodly sum of goldwil l be given for their tender chari t ies

,Of which I

have so o ften heard .

”

Therese decided , with instant resolution , that , instead of ask ing the Abbess to use her good officesfor her rel ie f, in every way in her power she wouldtry to keep Phyll i s a prisoner . Shak ing her headsadly

,as i f giving no credence to the tale, and draw

ing away her hands , as though there was contamination in those clasping them in entreaty

,she crossed

hersel f piously and said in rebukePoor lost wom an

,add not to your s ins by um

truth in order to gain the l iberty to j o in your unworthy companions , who doubtless in a drunkenrevel forgot thei r tryst with you .

A crimson flush driving the pal lor of distressfrom her face

,Phyl l i s

,shrink ing back

,gasped with

sobbing breathIs i t thus I seem to you I pray you do not

Spurn me I am as pure as you yoursel f,and there

i s something strangely famil iar in your voice andbearing that persuades me that you will be myfriend . Suddenly

,a thought str iking her

,with a

1 56 CROSSED SWORDS

new l ight of hope in her eyes,she besought : E n

quire,I entreat you

,i f among the troops here en

camped there i s one Maj or Van rosfeldt. He wi l l

go surety for my truth and honesty, and i s doubtless at this moment within easy reach ; or i s therenot within the convent one who i s a fri en d of mine ,Therese de L ér ieAt the men t ion of the names

,a quick revuls ion of

feel ing fil led the mind Of Therese . Instead of sti lldesi ring to keep Phyll i s in captivity

,she became

anxious to have her removed as far as possible fromthe vicinity of the barracks

,and released from cir

cum stances which, should they come to the ears ofEdward Vanrosfeldt

,might touch his sense of chiv

alry and perhaps“resul t in the culmination of her

own worst fears,by his offering to the girl the pro

tection of a husband . Thus at a single blow wouldher hopes be dashed to pieces ; hopes which , knowing him to be momentari ly exposed to the cr it icalchances of active serv ice , had warmed into the ex

pectation that some circumstance might ari se , thatwould make him debtor to hersel f for care or tendance , and thus peradventure some warmth of feeling might be excited in return . Drawing near

,

with an air o f saintly compassion,her dark lashes

droopi ng in the demure propriety Of the conventbred , she laid her hand on the bowed head

,saying

gently and tenderly“My erring s ister—for such

,in spite of your

folly, charity bids me cal l you,whether your tale be

true or false—I would have you go and s in nomore .I Shall acquaint the Mother Superior with your des ire, and I have no doubt that by appl icat ion to

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1 58 CROSSED SWORDS

to her eyes. In the dimness Of the cel l,un able to

see her averted face , and mistaking the cause of theemotion heaving her bosom , Phyll i s fel l upon herknees , and taking her hand , kissed it in a passion ofgrat itude

,saying :

Seek my release for kind charity ’s sake, sweetnun ! May Heaven bless your tender heart . . Surelyi t i s ea sy to beli eve in the piety of the dead sa ints

you pray to, when there are l iving angels l ike yoursel f !

-As the key turned again upon the hal f - faint inggirl

,with the mi st of tears upon her flushed cheeks ,

Therese ra i sed her eyes to Phyll i s ’s j a ilor, and said intones of softest compassion

,speaking in Engl ish :

Ah,si r , such v i leness in one so young and fai r

makes my heart bleed,and I long to save her from

further depths of sin . In her refusal of your re

quest I bel ieve she but d issembleth, thinking she willthus increase your favor for her . It i s my duty tothwart these plans

,by informing the Mother Abbess

anent the matter,and secure her freedom from your

coercion . To do otherwise, were to d ishonor thevei l I wear . I must without delay lay the case before those in command here , and entreat that thisfrai l si ster be permitted to return to her fri ends, i fsuch they may be termed . It may be that perchanceeven so Short a soj ourn w ithin these holy wal ls mayhave power to turn her spirit into seeking paths ofpurity and honesty .

”

Placing himsel f before her in the narrow passageway, and assuming hi s most vanquishing air,Captain Burr , looking at the pretty, tearful face before him

,said

THE FLIGHT 1 59

Such cold piety i s strangely unsuited to eyes asl ovely as these

,now melting me with their tears

and these soft hands were never meant to growhard with tasks wh ich your vocat ion lays uponthem . Ye are too pretty for a nun . Instead of thissober garb and these plai n l inen band s

,gems and

laces were more befitting . I f, fai r nun, in a secretcorner of your heart , that i s even now sending warmblushes to these cheeks

,you shal l th ink to cast aside

these black robes,and seek the outside world with

l i fe and l iberty and love, you have but to find your

humble servant,Aaron Burr

,an ’ I promise you h is

good sword - arm wil l be at your bidding to do youservice , and help you flee these bonds .”

Crossing hersel f , as i f to exorci se the suggest ionsof the Evi l One

, she exclaimed , as she endeavoredto move onStep aside

,I would fain pass

, si r .

With hi s rare grace of manner,the glamor of

which many a woman had cause to rue,he obeyed ,

and watched her as She walked quickly away ,say

ing to himsel f , as he slowly foll owedYonder i s not the stuff that saints are made of .

an ’ I would not be a fraid to lav wager against anyOdds , that the fall o f Quebec within a week i s notmore certain than that yon pure vestal

,St . Therese ,

take my wi se counsel . I f that pla in coi f h ide notmore of sinner than of saint

,then my repute for

read ing human nature , and especial ly that ofwoman , i s for the first t ime at faul t . I have athought , Sister Therese , that we shall meet anon .

”

CHAPTER X .

BE S I E GE D .

TH E year’s last morning dawned at last ; the

hours of the day wore on until set of sun ; thevesper bel l rang

,and to the suff ering people sleep

would soon give a welcome surcease of misery in its

blessed forgetfulness .When her evening meal was brought to her cel l ,Phyll i s found beneath her plate a note bearing theS i gnature of her tormentor . With eyes fixed in

terror she read :

Sweet,obdurate one

,

Pat ience hath never been numbered among themany virtues for which your devoted slave hathwide repute

,and the smal l stock in his possess ion

hath already reached its l imit ; as hath also the timeallotted you for consideration and compl iance .

To - night on the stroke of twelve the term of serviceof these troops expires . Before dawn to morrow ,

or never,the city must be ours ! Howe ’er it falls

out,I will no longer be amenabl e to a woman

’swhim . With my duty here fully discharged , I wi llhasten to your rel i ef

,e ither in person or by mes

senger, and take you under my protection , whetherye wil l or no . Such devotion as mine

,I feel

assured , must ere this have touched your heart , anddoubtless I wil l find you not only wi ll ing but

1 60

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1 62 CROSSED SWORDS

vis ible from the heights . He silently anathemat izedthe unbroken sti l lness which mocked the men

,who

night after n ight impatiently hoped that theirslumber might be broken by the sharp command,To arms !”

Count ing the hours as the year’s l i fe ebbed slowlyaway toward the midnight

,when would end the

term of enli stment of the troops,he noticed that a

haze began to obscure the moon’ s brightn ess ; thatthe stars began gradually to disappear

,one by one ,

behind white,scurrying clouds

,which as snow

began to fal l,grew heavier and darker . The wind ,

which had suddenly changed to the north , whistledin shril l gusts

,whirl ing the dri ft ing snow against

the tree - trunks,and fil l ing up the hollows of the

rocky ravines . The cold momentari ly increased,as

an Arctic blast from the ice- fields of Labradorswept fiercely up the St . Lawrence valley .

With senses al ert Vanrosfeldt looked at the gathering tempest . He quietly but swi ftly made his wayto Holland House , and into the chamber occupiedby his chie f and hi s staff

,where

,on a narrow pallet ,

with uni form unbelted,l ay the noble fo rm of his

general in the abandon o f slumber . The peacefulness o f sleep had smoothed away the l ines of carewhich marked his countenance in the weeks of

arduous march ing and restless wa it ing . He hadfor the moment forgotten the frowning battl ementswhich he must storm

,and al l the preparations for

the mortal combat hourly imminent ; and in h isdreams perchance he was again by his home - hearthon the banks of the Hudson . In to them came nomisgivings or fears for the issue upon which might

BESIEGED 1 63>

hang his country ’s weal,and which had si lvered a

few of the dark hai rs that fel l over hi s brow .

Unheard,Van rosfeldt soft ly approached and laid

his hand upon the'

shoulder of Montgomery, toawaken him—l ittl e dream ing to what a fate ! Im

mediately he sat upright , dazed for a moment bythe sudden rousing

,involuntar i ly fastening the mil i

tary coat in which,hal f unbuttoned , he had la in

down .

When fully awakened by the l ight which had beenstruck

,he started to hi s feet

,as Vanrosfeldt, with

eyes burning with excitement,said :

S i r,the midnight hour has but just struck

,and

a wild tempest has suddenly ari sen . Hark to thefury of the blast !”

Rising to hi s towering he ight,and calmly but

quickly buckl ing on hi s sword,a solemn and earnest

resolution darkening his eye,the genera l said calmly

but portentously :Van rosfeldt, the hour has come —order the

troops under arms .Hurrying forth to execute the command , the

word went out,and soon the storming party was

drawn up , ready for action and the attack . In thedarkness

,as hi s m en answered the summons

, Van

rosfeldt personal ly inspected the condit ion of each,

and by the touch of hi s hand ascertained that theequipment was as he had determined it should be .By two o ’clock the whole brigade was carefully inspected , and ready to march to the al lotted points .About n ine hundred men had answered to theirnames , and were divided into four companies , twoof which were detai led to do the actual fighting

,the

1 64 CROSSED SWORDS

rest to act as decoys and draw away the attentionof the enemy from where the serious assaults wereto be made .Scarcely able to keep his footing on the wind

swept ramparts,the sol ita ry sentinel pacing the

King’s Bast ion thought he had seen a l ight flashthrough the gloom—go out—and immediately, asi f in answer, another follow further down the river .Uncertain and l i stening

,the welcome words came

,

Guard turn out !”

as a shivering rel ief trampedheavi ly up the icy road . At once hi s suspi cionswere communicated to Lieutenant Fraser

,who was

in command of the squad , and soon the dire newsthat the enemy was in motion spread from the fortthrough the town . Into the gloom and bitter coldof the night, the troops and cit izens who were com

pelled to bear arms, with the sai lors from thefr igates , mustered at thei r posts at the beating ofthe assembly .

” In the darkened houses there wasa sudden gl immer o f candles

,l ighted hurriedly by

trembl ing fingers ; and g lancing'

fearfully throughthe frosted casements , women in tears and terrorclasped their frightened children within thei r arms,as the sharp clang of alarm - bells and quick orders tothe men gathering in the streets

,broke in on the

howling of the December wind .

At a flash of the signal - l ights , which the watchhad observed , dark forms in hot haste moved alongthe river bank

,and Vanrosfeldt saw his General at

hi s side ready to lead . His face grew darkly con

cerned , and turning in agitat ion , he exclaimed hurr iedly :

General,I beseech you to remain in the rear !

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1 66 CROSSED SWORDS

fifteen or twenty feet high,knit together by a stout

rai l ing of pine at top and bottom . Montgomeryhimsel f sawed through the logs to al low of fourmen entering abreast .The bulwarks of the ci ty came only to the edgeof the hi l l above the place

,but a few paces further

on there was a second obstruction,which took up

the space between hil l and river, l eaving only a,

cart - track on either S ide . This blockhouse , someforty or fifty feet square

,was loopholed for

musketry,and pierced above for two twelve

pounders,which

,charged with grape - Shot

, com

manded the narrow gorge up which the attackingforce had to approach .

Each night at watch - sett ing Li eutenant Fraserhad examined the post

,himsel f pointing the g uns ;

as on that defence the safety of the city largelydepended .

Unable in the bl ind ing storm to discover any signsof alarm on the part of the besieged , with the utmostel ation Montgomery turned to Vanrosfeldt, who

with an Indian guide was nearest to him,and com

manded

Order the forward column to advance andattack yonder blockhouse

,where doubtless Master

Carl eton’ s men are fast asleep,not dreaming, for

sooth , of our presence . We will g ive them nogen tl e awaken ing

,I promise you .

”

The command was needless,for ere the words

were ended , his eager men were press ing aroundhim . To fire thei r courage he l i fted hi s sword

,and

waving i t above hi s head,in cl ear

,r inging tones ,

that reached them through the din of the tempest,he cried

BESIEGED 1 67

Men of New York, ye wi l l not fear to fol lowwhere your General leads !” and rush ing hotly up thedecliv ity, . he shouted again :Come on

,my brave boys—Quebec is ours !

Over the obstructing ice and through the deepdri fts of snow—in the frenzy of the attack

,the j oy

of the peri l—Sl ipp ing, stumbl ing, but undaunted , thepoorly - clad men gallantly pressed against the d r iving storm . Like Jul ian

,trail ing his imperial purple

through the mud as on foot he led h is Romansthrough Assyrian marshes

,Montgomery

,forgetting

his rank,with face flushed with the hot blood that

the icy sleet could not chi ll , tugged with hi s own

hands at the great,frozen blocks . At last two hun

dred men formed in column . N0 l ight shone fromthe redoubt

,which lay directly in their path . It was

not unti l - the invaders had reached the second barrierthat the Briti sh sentinel s became aware of theapproach

,and gave the alarm . As they caught

sight of the head of the column,and not being able

to gauge its strength,a momentary panic se ized

them . Some attempted to conceal thei r arms,others offered to throw them into the r iver

,when

Lieutenant Fraser, his face l ivid w ith pass ion,in

a low , menacing voice ordered the frightenedguard :

To your posts,ye miscreants ! Ye craven

cowards ! Is this town defended by women ? Iswear the first man to desert hi s gun I wi ll shootdown l ike a dog !

”

Despite the human weakening Of hal f- starved andsorely pressed men

,they were Briti sh sold iers with

Briti sh courage,and at the order eve ry man

1 68 CROSSED SWORDS

quickly fel l into place . A S they stol idly waited ,with shouldered muskets

,for the word of command ,

not knowing what odds they were facing,the broad

chests heaved in S i lent suspense . The sailors , witheyes strained in the bl inding darkness

,Showed not a

tremor of fear as they stood with l instocks in theirhands ready to apply the torch . S ixty yards laybetween them and thei r approaching foe

,when out

rang the Shout : Fire !” and a belching blaze offlame and shot

,l ike the hot breath of hel l , fel l on

the heads and breasts o f the foremost . Forward ,prone upon the snow

,without a groan

,fel l the

maj estic form of Montgomery,and those of h is

immediate following who were within range, ofthose who composed the group leaving unhurt onlyBurr and the Indian guide ; whil e through thetrai l ing smoke

,the shrieks and moans of the dying

mingled dismally with the howl ing blast .Struck in the a rm with a musket ball

, Van rosfeldt

reel ed,his cry

,My God ! the General fal ls ! ”

reaching those behind ; and then—turn ing, stumbl ing

,and fall ing over each other

,they frantical ly

sought their wounded comrades,and in

'

the bitterness of repulse bore them down through thebreaches they had so manfully carri ed but a fewmoments before .

In the dark hour before the dawn,in the wai l of

the storm,a bewi ldered consultation was held

,and

moments pregnant with destiny were lost ; even thestaunchest o f heart among them quail ing before theawful suddenness of the calamity . Aaron Burr, a

strange combination of the lowest v ices and highestcourage

,stood calm and collected

,and advised

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1 70 CROSSED SWORDS

were beating,and upon the men running singly

along the narrow defil e with their gunlocks thrustunder their threadbare coats to keep them dry,there f el l from the windows a deadly hai l o f shot .Close behind them a few of thei r comrades weredragging a field - pi ece

,and above the no ise and

tumult Morgan,with the soul of a Crusader

,was

cheering his r iflemen on,who

,fighting in their own

fashion , and yell ing the Indian war -whoop,rush-ed

after him,the hil ls ides echoing to thei r cri es .

Reaching a barricade,Arnold was shouting his

ordefs,l i stening the w hile for shouts o f victory

from Montgomery’ s men, who were due i f they hadsucceeded

,when

,a bal l striking him upon the leg, he

fel l,st il l ral lying his soldiers . One of hi s men was

beside h im in a moment, who on seeing he was

disabled , cried excitedly :You’re hit

,Colonel

,and the shots are flying here

as thick as peas in a pod ! I ’l l carry you on myshoulders to their infernal barricade yonder . ”

No,my good lad ,

” he repl ied , I am in the wayof my duty here

,and know no fear ; and ri sing on

one l eg,and dragging the other after h im

,he con

tinued to conduct the charge unti l the position wastaken , and the guards made prisoners . S eeing himfall , Morgan then took command , and led the assaultwith almost superhuman exerti on . He plunged intothe town, fighting in the streets as he went

,until

he and hi s men were surrounded . Forced to sur

render,the man who years before had not fl inched

under five hundred strokes of the lash,which he

had been ordered by a tyrannical superior officer,under that one stroke of mis fortune bowed hi s headand cried l ike a child .

BESIEGED 1 7 1

But the odds were too great , for, instead of thesupport from Montgomery which Arnold hoped for,a blood - sta ined

,panting and exhausted messenger

brought the woeful news of the repulse . The Briti sh garrison be ing thus enab led to concentrate theirful l force against him ,

he was overpowered , someof hi s officers and men being carried pri son ers intothe Ci tadel . Others fel l back , and he himsel f wasborne to the camp hospital , h is blood leav ing acrimson track along the way . Repulsed , but notvanquished

,he demanded that his drawn sword and

loaded pistol s be la id beside h i s couch , withinreach of his hand

,that with them he might rece ive

the enemy should they en ter' to attempt hi s removal .Over the city on the hil l

,the night of bloodshed

and terror, made horrible by human stri fe andslaughter

,was giving way to morning, and the storm

which had raged throughout the fateful hoursd ied away . The only signs of turmoi l were thesmoked and broken barricades

,crimson stains upon

the virgin whiteness of the snowy hil ls ide , and thestil l forms

,which in thei r cold winding - sheets of

Canadian snowdri fts lay hal f buried below thebrown

,beetl ing cl iffs .

With the first pall id moments of approachingdayl ight

,one of the city gates Opened and from it

emerged smal l groups Of those who had been solong pent up within i ts walls ; cit izens w ith hurrying, uncertain steps coming forth to seek the meansof alleviat ing the wan t and suffering in their homes ,and a fil e o f sold iers deta iled to ascertain the lossesof the enemy

,to bury their dead and carry the

wounded into the fort . Following them were

1 72 CROSSED SWORDS

several monks,crucifix in hand

,bent on bringing

spiritual consolation or bodi ly help to any in needof them .

'With them walked one who, thoughstraight and tall, yet from the youthful look he bore,was evidently a novice in the monastic l i fe . H is

presence and purpose would, however, not have beena source of wonderment or question, even i f anyapart from thei r own pressing concerns had thoughtto consider them, for in the stress and di sorder ofthe time

,not only the venerable Abbot and reverend

Mother Abbess and those already in orders,but

even those preparing to take vows in the monasteriesand convents , were specially commiss ioned to do

churchly duty or proffer charitable tendance to thesick, the starving or dist ressed . Hasten ing downthe decl ivity

,the black - robed figures d irected their

steps toward the convent barracks,guided thither

by the soiled and trampled snow,and the b loody

foo tprints along the way . The young novice,tarry

ing behind,stopped to minis ter to a poor fel low,

who, wounded and hal f frozen, was call ing feeblyfor help

,but who in a few moments was beyond

what human hands or words could do. L eaving thebody to the sold iers who were approaching, herapidly overtook the priests and entered the conventwith them .

Scarcely more terrible were the hours of darknessto those in the carnage of the onslaught than to thegirl locked in the quiet convent cel l . Through the.narrow window , which faced the town, she hadheard the distant roaring of cannon, the crack of

musketry ; then the trampl ing as of feet flying in adesperate head long rout ; and at last groans , prayers

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1 74 CROSSED SWORDS

but which,before She had proceeded far, she found

completely lost in the pathless tracks of the storm .

Trembl ing from anxiety, lack of sleep , and the fearof being unable to cl imb the decl ivity, with the worseterror of encountering her persecutor, she stood andlooked helplessly around her . From the mainentrance o f the hospice emerged the youth inmonk ’s garb who an hour before had sought tooffer the consolat ions of the Church to the woundedand dying soldier on the hills ide , and w ho had s incebeen doing l ike service to the inmates of the convent .With bowed head

,and apparently on some errand

requi ring haste,he took the same d irection as that

which Phyl l i s would fa in have pursued . Withtremulous uncertainty she tri ed to make anothereffort to proceed and fol low in his steps . He must,she thought

, be famil iar with every road and by- wayleading to the city , and feel ing his presence to bea safeguard and gu ide, she struggled along, and fora Short di stance was making fair headway , whensuddenly

,her foot striking against a fallen bough ,

hidden under the dri ft,she stumbled and fell

fo rward in the snow . At her cry of dismay themonk turned

,and hastening back, reached her, as

regaining her feet, She tried to shake the flakes fromher hai r and eyes

,where they had bl inded her fon,

the moment . She was only conscious that a darkface under a cow l was regarding her, and a voicewhich sounded strangely hollow asked :

“ S ister,can I be of service to you ? Whither

are your steps bent ? The convent,from which I

perceive you have just taken leave,were safer than

BESIEGED 1 75

these paths,where are sights that may blanch your

cheek and S icken your heart . Return, I pray you .

”

“ Nay,good Brother, I beseech you turn not

away, but rather, in the charity in keeping withyour robe

,aid me in reaching the city wal ls

,within

which i s my father,s ick

,and I have cause to fear,

mayhap dead . I do not seek to deta in you,al l I

ask i s the guidance of your footsteps thither .”

Not turn ing towards her,his averted face rigid

as a death - mask,he moved on

,saying coldly, Fol

low me . ”

He measured hi s steps to the weakness of hers ,but never once looked back to see how she faredover the rough way . It mattered not how Shefaltered or sl ipped , no hand was held out to herass istance nor further word spoken but i f she couldhave looked beneath the cowl

,she would have seen

that with a fierce grasp upon himsel f, his dark eyesburning with passionate love, Brother Jerome wascrushing down the heart of Leon de Lér ie ; that thefingers , t ightly clasped beneath the serge gown ,dared not touch hers

,l est the chains of sel f- restraint

snap and he make shipwreck of hi s vows .In unbroken silence they cl imbed the h i ll and

reached the gate, and as she was about to faceh im and say,

“Accept my heartfelt thanks,good

Brother,

” he turned away abruptly,and keep ing

close to the wall , di sappeared .

With the fal l ing of the night a solemn hushbrooded portentously over the Rel igious House ofthe HOSpital iéres, which not many hours before hadbeen al ive with act ive

,though stealthy

,mi l i tary pre

1 76 CROSSED SWORDS

parations. The refectory , which erstwhile hadbeen the scene of feasting and rough soldier l i fe, wasstrewn with pallets , on which , moaning with pain,and ghastly with bloody bandages

,lay the wounded

and dying . Some were in merci ful unconsciousness ; others, with minds wandering, were cal l ingweakly for loved ones far away over leagues offorest and mountain ; and not a few lay si lent inthe calm of death .

Over one, whose brown curls were red andclotted

,a young nun bent

, who, as she bathed thelacerated flesh and damp br ow

,wept as tenderly,

and with as keen distress,as a girl might over her

lover . Edward Vanrosfeldt,for whom she cared ,

with eyes shining and cheeks aflam e, muttered andraved in the wild imaginings of hi s fevered brain .

He tossed from side to s ide in h is del ir ium ,hinder

ing the proper swathing of his wound,so that the

fall ing tears of the S ister would scarcely permit o fher ministrations . She l istened to his incoherentwanderings of speech

,as he spoke of the past, to

which in thought he had returned .

At one moment he fanci ed he was in the madfury and rush of battle, and anon he crooned a lovesong

,at the sound of which the dark - eyed S ister ,

who sat patiently and without weariness hour afterhour by his s ide

,l eaned towards him ,

and placing asmall , cool hand on h i s burning brow , tr ied to cheathersel f with the fond fancy that i t was to her hesang . The love and longing within almost breaking bonds , her l ips were about to touch his cheek,when the fantasy of dreams suddenly changing

,he

thought he was again on the treacherous river,see

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1 78 CROSSED SWORDS

turned she saw that a knot of blue ribbon , with a

crimson stain upon it,was t ied over hi s heart . A s

he Opened h i s fever - bright eyes, she looked into their

shin ing depths,and recoi l ing

,her fingers fel l power

less,as with streaming tears She wept

,with pain

as sharp as ever tore a woman ’s heart,crying :

O Ciel, I cannot , for I love h im ! I love h im !With the d awn , her vigil ended , and the night

l ight put out, She repl ied to the enquiry of the layS ister who was to take her place :The poor sold ier has passed a restless night

,his

mind wandering at times,but I besought Heaven On

his behal f,and already I see s igns of recovery .

”

“ Yes,S ister Therese

,prayers Offered by one so

pure of heart have without doubt been heard . for

see how he sleeps,breathing as sweetly as a child

upon its mother ’s breast .A S the days passed

,the love for Edward Vanros

feldt proved stronger than the j ealous hate,and she

tended and watched him unweariedly,grudging the

sl ightest care to any other ; but in the S i l ence of herthought she nouri shed a deep revenge

,for Hell

hath no fury l ike a woman scorned .

”

On an evening when the conven t bel l was call ingto vespers ,

‘as with the danger past,the patient lay

weak and pale before her,laying her hand on the

locks , grown long and clustering above the whitebrow, she said :

“ Monsieur i s better,thanks to the favor of a

merci ful Heaven .

And to your gentl e mini stering,sweet S ister .

At times,monsieur

,I feared I should scarce

ever see you wel l again ; for besides your bodily

BESIEGED 1 79

ai lment some weight of trouble seemed to pressupon your mind

,as though some one had wrought

you ill,or given you cause for sorrow . Who i s th is

Phyll is for whom you did cry continually in yourmad raving ? I

,too,have known one of that name .

I s She your si ster ? Or perchance She i s your cousin,who will be glad when the fair news of your betterment reaches her

,for doubtless by this t ime She

mourns you as among the dead .

”

A warm color flooded the wan white cheeks as ,grasping her hand

,he exclaimed in a d angerous

excitement :Spake I her name ? Then that I love her i s no

longer secret ! It i s not that o f si ster or cousin,

but of one even dearer,an ’ never sweeter

,fai rer

maid won a man ’ s undying love . I would youcould See her, S ister Therese

“ Mayhap I have . What i s her family name,

monsieurHave you then seen her ? When and where ?

Pray tel l me !” Leaning toward her,and clasp ing

her hands in h is,he exclaimed : Oh

,sweet saint

,

you have never known the rapture and agony of

love ’s thrall, but bel ieve me when I tel l you that the

l i fe you have saved depends on the constancy andtruth of Phyll i s Davenant !”

Shrinking back,and crossing her hands meekly

on her breast , S ister Therese bowed her head , as

She said with a trembl ing of p ity such as the angelbarring the way to Eden may have felt :

“Ah , monsieur, i t rends my heart to tell you thetruth . I f thi s Mademoisel l e Davenant

, who has butjust left these wall s , i s she whom you love , better

1 80 CROSSED SWORDS

were i t for you that I had loosed these bands andlet the l i fe - blood ooze away in your unconsciousness

,than that you should l ive and wake to her

unworthiness . ”

Then,as i f every word were a dart piercing her

own heart,she cont inued

,as his eyes

,fil l ed with an

agony of apprehens ion,were fixed upon her bowed

head :This Phyll i s Davenant

,fa i r of feature and with

ha ir l ike the cloud when the sun i s sett ing, asoldier— one of your own comrades—brought hitherout of p ity and to save her from the perils o f herown reckless fol ly . He informed us that by s ignal ,which had been prearranged

,she had run away

from her home and friends,and was bent on meet

ing one Capta in Temple,meaning to j o in him on his

ship,but by some misapprehension he fai led to keep

his tryst . I counsel thee to th ink not of her ; she i sunworthy o f such as thee . ”

Her l i stener ’s face was l iv id , his eyes dry andhot

,and through his drawn

,parched l ip s came in

husky tones,as of a man stricken to the heart, the

agonized question :Speak ye the truth ? She who told you this

must have wantonly erred ! Tell me ye are indoubt ! One word of uncertainty wi l l exorcise thisdemon of distrust tear ing hope out of my torturedsoul . Speak , holy S ister, as you hope for heaven ,say it i s a black untruth

, or that i t may have beenanother .Nay, I cannot . I mysel f have seen her, hav

ing met her in other days . S he i s fal se to thee,

”

and turning away to hide the heaving of her breast

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1 82 CROSSED SWORDS

Captain Burr,Therese on his departure had found

a monk ’ s gown . Carrying it to her cel l,and

throwing i t over her own,he being short of stature ,

i t fitted not il l,the l ines o f her sl ight figure being

lost in the loose folds o f the rough serge . Withher vei l

,coi f and wimple removed

,and her short

hai r curl ing in r ings about her face,she saw her

sel f reflected from her only mi rror,the panes of her

narrow window . Startled , she exclaimed underher breath

,It i s Leon

,not Therese

Suddenly a thought flashed through her mind .

and her face was l ined with a quick deci sion , as

carefully folding and secreting the robe in the coverings of her cot

, she resumed her vei l and crept awayto do her all otted tasks

,which throughout the day

she performed with hasty abstraction,her face

flushed with an inward excitement .That evening

,as the last of the soldi ers took

leave o f the convent and passed out of the gate, ayoung black - robed pr i est fol lowed them

,hi s pres

ence arousing no comment . Edward Van rosfeldtwas again bodi ly fit for act ive serv ice, . but therewere l ines of suffering upon his face which marredi ts whilom comeliness . Feverish for act ion , he hadbeen impatient for the freeing o f the river of ice .and fel t something o f his old spirit return as heembarked on the transport waiting at the shore .As he took hi s place in the S loop which was to bearhim up stream

,he noticed a boyish - looking priest

s itt ing in the stern,hi s face bent low over the book

of prayers in hi s hand,apparently obl ivious to the

men of blood who were hi s fel low - passengers , andseemingly averse to hold ing converse with them .

BESIEGED 1 83

On learning that the enemy had final ly withdrawn

,Madame de L ér ie

,anxious to once more

behold her beloved child,and wishing with the pro

tection of S ir Guy ’ s fleet to return to her home inMontreal

,hastened to the convent . There , aghast

with dismay,she l earned from the good Abbess , who

was prostrated with grief,that Therese had mys

ter iously disappeared , nothing having been seen orheard of her s ince the American army had leftthe town . Diligent search and inquiry had beenmade

,but no trace could be found .

And,my sister

,

” the pious soul said,amid

chok ing sobs,i t may be I was not watchful enough

of one SO young and beauti ful,but she was full of

good works,and so pure in heart , that I began to

hope that she too might have a vocat ion for theChurch . Among the si ck and wounded she was anangel indeed

,nursing the poor men day and night

with no thought of weariness . To her care and

prayers one soldier most surely owes h i s l i fe .

”

Of what sold ier do you speak ?” asked Madame .

He was a Maj or Vanrosfeldt,with hair brown

and curl ing, and eyes as blue as a babe’s . ”

Quick as thought back to the mother came thememory of her chi ld leaning out of her chamberwindow

,saluting a handsome sold ier passing by

at the returning glance of whose blue eyes crimsonblushes had dyed her cheeks . A horribl e agony offear tore at her heart

,and leaning for support

against a pi llar,she tasted the wine the frightened

nun hurriedly procured for her,but no word of the

dark, miserable suspicion forc ing itsel f upon herwas uttered , as sick at heart she sa id :

1 84 CROSSED SWORDS

Pray for my child,good S i ster, that no i ll

befal l her .Oh

,be of good comfort

,I wil l say av es without

ceasing to the blessed V i rgin , who knew a mother’s

grief,that her young l ife may be spared .

”

I thought not of her l i fe ; death i s not the chiefevil to be feared ,

”she answered brokenly and with

soul tortured with uncertainty and anguish,the di s

tracted mother returned to the city, to spend weeks

and months waiting for tid ings,refusing to leave

the place where she had seen her chi ld last,until

hope i tsel f died out.

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1 86 CROSSED SWORDS

ernor’

s house . Clad in sober browns and drabs,in knee- breeches and s i lver- buckled shoes , they hadthe appearance of being simply a sm all companyof private gentlemen about to tarry in the chateau ,which they were approaching

,to enj oy a friend ’s

hospital ity,and tarry for a t ime beneath his roof .

As they passed through the streets,however, loud

huzzas from some of the people, and a salute of cannon from the fort

,bel ied the conceit

,and proclaimed

that the occasion was one of publ ic concern . Guestshad been b idden

, so that the salon of the chateauwas fil led with a d ist inguished and genteel assembl age ready to receive them ; and in the doorwaystood Arnold

,the host

,waiting to extend to them

greeting,and bid them welcome .

The members of the party of travellers were presented in turn

,the first being Master Benjamin

Frankl in,a printer of Philadelphia

, who at the ageof seventy st i l l apparently retained the vigor andenergy of youth . His eye was keen and piercing ,yet withal kind and gentle . His hair

,which was

unpowde red , and without the queue of the prevai ling fashion

,fel l in natural locks Over hi s shoulders

which accorded wel l with the extreme simpl icity ofhi s l inen and ra iment . With a countenance of greatbenignity , and distinguished by an unusual breadthOf brow

,he looked the scholar and the sage .

Accompanying him in somewhat less of the plainness which marked the garb of the philosopher, wasSamuel Chase , a lawyer of Maryland , who thoughscarcely yet past the prime of manhood . had ac

quired a name for unusual l egal acumen and ski l l inlogic .

MORAL SUASION 1 87

Then in turn were introduced the other two members of the party

,w ho were brothers—one, Master

Charles Carroll,the p ossessor of a princely domain

in the same state,and the largest and wealthiest

landowner in the Colonies ; the other, the ReverendJohn Carroll

,a prelate of Rome

,holding the ofli ce

of B ishop of Philadelphia . His creed was that ofthe Baltimores o f h i s native state

,the Baron and his

son Cecil,who being neither in sympathy with the

royal Stuarts nor with Oliver Cromwell,had sough t

to try the experiment of founding in Maryland a democrat ic pr incipal ity, conducted accord ingto the Cathol ic tenets of fa ith and pract ice . Thechurchman had accompanied the comm i ss i on byspecial invitat ion

,hi s priestly call ing being depended

upon to give him influence with the clergy and thepeople of the Canadian city and province holdingthe same rel igious bel ief as himself .Some O f those of French national ity assembled to

receive the vi sitors,bowed with respectful cord ial ity

when they remembered that thei r own young compatriot , Gilbert Mottier de Lafayette, an officer inthe Guard of Honor in Pari s

,of high rank and titl e

vast fortune and powerful connections,was burning

to leave the most br i ll i ant and fascinating Court inEurope to fight as a volunteer in thi s struggle .Colonel Davenant

, who,broken in h ealth and

spiri t,had returned some weeks before to the quiet

and reti rement of his home in Montreal,and those

present o f Engl ish birth,think ing of the inglorious

fl ight of thei r Governor by night,in darkness and

storm , scarce S ix months before from the same portal s then Open to receive thei r enemies, acknow l

1 88 CROSSED SWORDS

edged the introductions with courteous but coldformal ity .

Arnold,st i l l lame from h is wound , cond ucted hi s

guests to the banquet- room,where a feast was

spread for thei r delectation over which Father Carrol l pronounced a b lessing accord ing to the ritual ofthe Church he represented .

A s Vanrosfeldt glanced around the board , he sawseated on Arnold ’s right , Frankl in , and opposite tohim Colonel Davenant

,by whose side sat his daugh

ter . She looked white and anxious, regard ing withconcern her father’s face

,which was flushed with

the mental d isturbance which his being com -

pelled tobe official ly present occasioned . Shrink ing uneasi lyfrom meeting Van rosfeldt

’

s eyes,which he pers is

tently and purposely seemed to avert , her agitationcould not be controlled . Think ing of her father ’s enfee-bled state o f health

,her anxiety as to the result o f

the strain under which he was evidently laboringincreased painful ly during the course of the repast .In reply to Arnold ’ s inquiri es of h i s guests regardingtheir purpose and plan for the carrying out of the irinstructions

,Franklin explained with a persuas ive

smile :With the co- Operation of my colleagues

,I am

commissioned to endeavor by all means in my powerto present to the inhabitants of Canada such cogentarguments for our po sit ion

,that

,seeing its justice ,

thei r own reason wil l forcethem to j oin our cause,and throw off the tyrant chains by which they now

are bound .

”

At the treasonable declarat ion , Colonel Davenantcould no longer restrain h is ind ignat ion , and with a

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1 9 6 CROSSED SWORDS

Pointing to a large chest which the servants hadbrought carefully into the adj oining room

,Chase

urbanely remarked , with a touch of satire i n hi stonePermit me

,s ir

,to assure you that there need be

no concern upon so vital a point . Master Frankl in ,foreseeing such a contingency, has , with his usualforesight

,provided for it . In yonder case i s hi s own

p-

r intin~

gp ress, an d even were i t not so,his native

ingenuity would find a way out of the d ilemma , ashe could proceed to manufacture his own type andink

,as he has on occasion done before and turning

to h is host, he continued pol i tely : We are,how

ever,dependent on Colonel Arnold ’ s courtesy for a

chamber where the work can be done without needless interruption .

With a smile,Arnold repl ied

Master Frankl in wil l find a safe and quiet apartment in the vaulted rooms which l i e below this bui lding

,where will be afforded him all necessary assi s

tance in hi s peaceful and bloodless campaign . I praythat i t may have a more favorable outcome than ourmost lamentable venture at Quebec ; but

'

whatev er

be the means employed , we must al l hang togetherin order to accompl ish the worthy and comm endableend in view .

”

With a twinkle of the eye,and a rais ing of the

eyebrows, Frankl in looked around the board , as herej o ined with a laugh

Mos-t certainly, as has before been remarked , i f

we do not now hang together,we without doubt wil l

al l hang separately later on !”

MORAL SUASION 1 9 1

As the company repaired to the salon for conversat ion and conference

,Monsieur de L ér ie, who

was present to meet the commission, s ingled out

Father Carrol l,as being of the same faith as himsel f,

and taking out his snuff- box , said , as he del icatelyoffered a pinch :Mv son

,l ike your Grace,i s in holy orders .

Accepting the courtesy,the prelate repl i ed

I would then,si r

,that he were here . His native

tongue would be of service to my present mission inconversing with the French - speaking clergy of thetown ; and even i f this present commission be abort ive

,should France send troops to America to

serve in our cause,some of h is creed and language

wi l l be a necessity to perform priestly duties amongthem , should the need arise .

”

The claims of the Church,Father

,be assured ,

wil l ever come with him before even those o f country

,i f the call of duty bade him choose between

them . He i s st i l l in hi s novi t iate , but ye can at anyt ime command him . Rel igion comes before evenpatriot ism ! I am a Briti sh subj ect

,but I am be

fore that a Cathol ic .

”

His attendance over,Colonel Davenant

, a—trem‘ble

with anger, and Phyl l i s , in pained wonder at Vanrosfeldt

’

s studi ed avoidance of her,took an early

leave, on the plea o f h i s del icate health . Leaningheavily on his d aughter ’s arm

,in the wan l ight of

a waning moon,they walked slowly through the

quiet streets toward their home,which sti l l bore

marks Of its occupation by the departed Colonialofficers ; and which , unl ighted , w ould give them but a

1 9 2 CROSSED SWORDS

cheerless welcome . At last, breaking the silence , inan excitement which made his hand

,resting on her

arm,shake as in a palsy, he said satirical ly

'

“ Master Frank l in and his accomplices or colleagues

,as he d ubs them

,need scarce be so sanguine

of success . We are not a parcel of soft- headed women to be so easily moved by his eloquent manife

'

stoes, even were they couched in al l the wit andlogic of this imaginary philosopher of hi s PoorRichard ’ himsel f— to whose sayings albeit I wil lnot deny a certain sagaciousness and homely humor .I predict that before a mon th ’s t ime he wi l l be conv eying his precious printing—press back whence i tcame , but lacking a goodly supply of uselessly spi ltink . He wil l then have to inform those at the headof this insane revolt that they wil l not have occasionto place this loyal Tory province among the stripes ,which I hear thev have impudently added to our flagto indicate thei r rebell ious colonies ; for to suchlengths have they already gone !” The sturdyLoyal ist refused to notice hi s daughter ’s gentle attempts to divert h is mind from the disturb ing theme

,

and went on hotly : In conversation thi s eveningI learn ed that even a treasonable standard of thei rown has been made under the order of thi s Washington , by a Quaker woman in a certain cottage onMulberry Street in Philadelphia . This same BetseyRoss

,as She i s cal led

,has placed her audacious head

in a noose, and will not be forgotten when theKing’s t roops Vi ctor iously enter her town of

‘

Br0

ther ly Love,’ which i s the meaning of thei r high

sounding Philadelphia . Brotherly Love forsooth !—a precious misnomer that for a nest of pesti lent

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1 9 4 CROSSED SWORDS

would defy the just authority o f our Heaven- ap

pointed Sovereign . They w i l l then find that whetherthey hang together or separately , Master Frankl in

’switless j est was but a sorry one .Oh

,fathe r, at last interrupted Phyll i s, as he

paused exhausted,in spite of their d isloyalty and

rebell ion , these Colonial s seem to be fai r- mindedgentlemen . A soldier on a gibbet ! ’Tis too harrowing to contemplate ! Edward Vanrosfeldt, thoughseemingly most fickle in fri endship and strangelyforgetful o f past favor

,i s surely worthy another

death than that of a common felon !”“ Ingrat itude i s ever the blackest o f s ins ! Werethe rope already around his neck , I would not raisea finger to save him !” was the angry reply ; Vanrosfeldt’s studied coldnes s of manner, the reason forwhich he was unaware of

,seeming in a measure to

warrant hi s opinion .

Not again responding to h i s vehemence of language

,but t imidly str iving to allay his st i l l r i s ing

pass ion,Phyll i s l ed him over the threshold o f their

home,and then soothed him to S lumber ere seeking

rest hersel f .The hour of two was chiming from the belfry ofthe Recol let Monastery , whose gardens adj oinedthose of the chateau, when the l ight sleep into whichshe had fal len was broken by the sound of a horseman riding rapid ly past toward the east of the town ,

in the direction of mil itary headquarters . Not manyminutes after

,the sudden rel ighting of the windows

where Colonel Arnold was lodged,augured that the

rider, who had hasti ly al ighted at the door, broughtnews of serious moment . He was an American

MORAL SUASION 1 9 5

officer to whom had been entrusted the command ofa fortified post on the north bank of the r iver , knownas The Cedars

,

”

and lying about forty miles distant . The position had been occupied to watchwhat they cal led The Vulture ’s Nest , a Briti shencampment further up the r iver

,the purpose of

which was to descend and co- Operate with Carletonin driving the Continental troops out of Canada , andput an end to the aims and purpose of the invaders .In extreme agitation

,with pauses for hurried

breathing,the man related that hi s scouts had

brought him word that a party of one hundred andfifty Briti sh

,and a band of Indians , five hundred

strong,were descending the river to attack the

American stronghold . As he proceeded,Arnold ’ s

face grew serious and attentive, but hardened intol ines of angry severity as the miserabl e tale proceeded— that the garri son was so paralyzed withfear of the bloodthi rsty savages

,and dread of thei r

atrocit ies,that the place would immediately surren

der on the arrival o f the first Redcoat or coppercolored savage that appeared outs ide the pal i sades

,

unless strong reinforcements were at once sent toits assi stance .Looking sternly at the terrified officer

,with l ip

curl ing‘

in a fin e scorn , Arn old witheringly exclaimed :Schuyler hath w el l said that ‘

to take a post wemust at t imes shoot a general ! ’ This craven act ofdeserting yours in a moment of such peri l may havesaved your unworthy scalp , but it w il l make but asorry Show when ye are called to answer for thi snight

’s work before the Commander - in - Chief

1 9 6 CROSSED SWORDS

Raising his fist, with a savage curse, he shouted:

Begone,coward ! ere I forget that ye wear the

Blue - and - Buff and hold the rank ye have d isgraced ,and I forestal l that tribunal by flogging you as Iwould the greenest drummer - boy in the service ! Butno,I swear I wrong even such an one by comparison

with such a varl et as ye are, for the most chicken

hearted fifer or camp—follower in the army wouldblench with Shame at the thought of such a tr ick asthis ! However

,I find comfort in the knowledge

that the rel ieving party,which wil l march at day

break to the help of your deserted post,wil l be under

the command of a man who would suffer the redfiends to kil l h im piecemeal in the slow agony ofthei r infernal fires

,rather than surrender without

a blow . To Maj or Vanrosfeldt wil l be given therescue of the place !

Vanrosfeldt,

’ ti s need les s to say, reckless of l i fe,with a burning desi re for action

,and the thirst for

fighting and adventure of hi s kind,was found ready

and eager at sun - up to obey . The fierce joy of thecharge

,with colors a- swing and sword aloft

,were

to him the very wine of l i fe . H is sp iri t was caughtby the rank and fil e following him ,

as with stern

faces they hurried to what they wel l knew mightbe torture and death with nameless horrors .

By the sound of the forced march , Phyll i s in theearly dawn was aroused from her restless , fitful

Sl eep . Rising on her elbow in the great , curtainedbed

,she parted the rose - chintz curtains to l i sten , um

certa in whether i t were real ity or but the fancy of avan i shing d ream .

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1 9 8 CROSSED SWORDS

leafage,the sweet face of the only woman who

could make the l i fe he was ri sking worth the saving .

Wi th the balm and blossoming of the spring aroundher

,and the sunshine fil ter ing through her hair, she

was tenderly beauti ful ! For a s ingle moment, witha strange

,wistful look

,their eyes met

,the slow

pal ing of her cheeks setting his heart a—throbbingwith a mingl ing of pain and j oy ; but turning awayhe thought with a smothered groan , How can oneso fai r o f face be so false at heart ! Fai nt andstricken at hi s averted look

,she hastily drew back

into the chamber and with a low moaning, fel l aweeping bitterly .

With quick orders at the fort ified gate,i t opened

and closed after him,and he vanished from her

s ight ; but i f he could have seen the white fingerswaft toward it a kiss from l ips a- quiver with the achein her breast, he would not so eagerly have cravedthe d eath to which he bel ieved he was marching.

The day following,the sun was s inking toward

the west,behind hil l s verdant in the bloom of the

early spring,and the river flowed maj estical ly and

peacefully on,here and there broken into foam by an

occasional rap id . Through the glades of the forestand across the streams on their way, watch fulagainst ambush

,grudging even the delay needful

for rest and refreshment,the rel i eving force pushed

on unti l within gun - Shot of the threatened post .Nothing gave them warn ing that a few hours before, with scarce a Show of resi stance , i t had fallen .

Unsuspicious of such a disaster,and hopeful that

there was yet time for its salvation, Vanrosfeldt and

his men moved confidently and rapidly toward it,

MORAL SUASION 1 9 9

when suddenly there arose from five hundred savage throats the hideous war - cry which had presaged many a deed of horror

,and tortures , that to

chronicl e their detai ls would pale the face of thebravest . 'A momentary wavering, and the suddenness o f the surprise past, the voice of the leader washeard above the hell ish yell s of the attacking sav

ages,call ing upon his men to rally ; hi s own keen

sword sending more than one redskin dead to thegrass . Soon under the feet o f white man and Mohawk

,i t became trodden flat and gory in the fierce

fight . Not unti l a thi rd of the sold iers had fallen ,w ere the remainder surrounded and overpowered ,but not before a messenger had broken away andwas speeding back with the tid ings to Arnold , whowas some mi les in the rear

,fol lowing with rein

forcements .A muttered curse fel l from his l ips as he heard of

the shameful surrender forced upon the brave boysholding the post to the wanton cruelties of theruthless

,savage foe

,and although hurrying to the

scene o f action,hi s speed was redoubled to wreak a

swi ft vengeance for the dead , and to retake the postand save the l iving, i f such there sti l l were . Reaching the l ittl e hamlet o f S te. Anne’ s at the westernend of the island of Montreal

,he stamped his feet

impatiently on finding that hi s boats were not yet insight . N0 sound disturbed the quiet beauty of thespot save the lapping o f the golden - green waters onthe sh ingle

,where long years before the song of the

voyag eurs had echoed as they started for thei r wander ings in the pathless wilderness of the westernp lains . W i th ears eagerly intent for any chance

2 00 CROSSED SWORDS

alarm or surpri se, Arnold, looking out over theislands which marked the confluence of the Ottawaand the St . Lawrence

, saw that from one at someconsiderable d istance the Indians were conveyingtheir prisoners to the mainland . Furious with impatience at thus being chained to the spot , and un

able to go in pursuit, he despatched a r ifleman tohurry up the boats . Scarcely had he d i sappeared ,when the t inkle o f a paddle was heard

,with the

quick sweep of a canoe as it rounded a point of

land near by,and made for the spot where the

troops were waiting . Luckily the boat containeda sma l l party of friendly Indians from Caughna

waga,with their chief Red Dee r at their head, who

recogniz ing the uni form,paddled for the shore .

Point ing up stream,Arnold

,with excited gestures

,

and the use of a few Indian words with which oneof his men was famil iar

,conveyed the urgency of

the case to his al ly, who in a moment was ready to

go to the enemy, with a demand for the return ofthe pri soners to the custody of Colonel Arnold ,which

,i f refused

,would result in his destroying the

Indian v il lages,and putting to death any of thei r

people who fel l into hi s hands .With teeth set and looks as mal ignant as those of

the savage himself,Arn old watched the canoe Shoot

up the stream to the point where the embarkationwas hurriedly taking place . He saw the Indian land ,and after a parley

,paddle quickly back with the cur

rent . The reply he brought was that they refused togive up the pri soners

,and i f the Americans at

tempted to fol low and attack the Briti sh,the Indians ,

i t was feared , would immediately put to death thosein their power .

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2 02 CROSSED SWORDS

that i f these terms were refused,the savages , en

raged by Arnold’s threat of e wholesale slaughter,

would, i t was feared, at once put to v iolent deaththose in thei r hands ; the Engl ishman hum anely de

plor in-

g his inab i l i ty to prevent the carry ing out ofthe fiendish intent ion . The moment was one offrightful uncertainty

,and to one of Arnold ’s impet

uous and passionate nature,well nigh intolerable .

Vanrosfeldt, he knew,would die a hundred deaths

,

with al l the torment the savage mind could invent,

rather than enter Quebec on terms which meant d ishonor ; for to submit to dictation with a force ade

quately sufficient to puni sh the offenders, he knewsavored strongly of it . He was fully assured

,too

,

that Daniel Morgan would rot and per ish in his Canadian prison rather than buy his freedom at such anignoble pr i ce !Fi nally

,to save the threatened slaughter

,the docu

ment was signed , contingent on certain mod ifica

t ions of its terms being accepted ; the British officeracceding to them with readiness and evident rel ie f .

CHAPTER XII .

D I S CR E TION THE BE TTE R PAR T OF

VAL OR .

VALOR, however daring and seemingly recklessof consequences , must at t imes yield to the dictatesof discret ion ; so when it became kn own that frigates had arrived at Quebec

,bringing Engl ish, I ri sh

and German reinforcements,thirteen thousand

strong,and that they would no doubt shortly sa i l up

the r iver,it seemed evi dent that to continue further

offensive measures in Canada was enti rely withouthope of success . 'Arnold ’s proud and masterfulSpir it would not have quailed before even this , hadnot want of suppl i es in the necessar ies o f l i fe andfield equipment

,such as meat

,bread , shoes , clothing

and tents,with the prevalence o f malign ant types of

disease,formed invincible all ies to his enemy . When

i t was posit ively known that Carleton and hi s forceswere mak ing their way up the St . Lawrence , not

only to drive out the invaders,but also to assist in

making,with other portions of the Briti sh army, a

concerted invasion of New York, Arnold real iz edthat the j unction of Canada with the colonies wasan utter impossib il ity .

Address ing Vanrosfeldt, with whom he was inconference

,and who protested against the abandon

ment of the enterprise,he exclaimed impetuously

“Vanrosfeldt, l et us reti re and secure our own

2 03

2 04 CROSSED SWORDS

country before i t i s too late . There wil l be morehonor in making a safe retreat

,than in hazarding

a battl e against so much superiori ty . Our past endeav ors must have

‘

shown we are not lacking inspiri t ; let us by now withdrawing and embracingour own safety prove that we are not wanting insense . Be assured that I do not thus argue in fearof my persona l safety . I am content to be the lastman to quit th i s province, and am will ing to fall mysel f

,that my country may ri se . ”

We must,therefore

,Colonel

,fal l back on Fort

St . Johns,and then proceed to Lake Champlain,

Vanrosfeldt unwill ingly assented .

Accordingly the retreat was reluctant ly begun .

The leaders watched thei r men dej ectedly enter thetransports , refusing to do so themselves unti l the lastbluecoat had left them on the shore alone, ex ceptfor the straight form of Red Deer

,

” the faithfulCaughnawaga chief

, who sto i cal ly stood besidethem

,the only Canadian who accompanied the army

in retreat . As the last boat di sappeared on thestream

,the two officers mounted and rode back to

reconnoitr e ; when coming in S ight Of the Brit ishcolumns under Burgoyne

,and satisfied o f their char

acter and number,they wheeled on their horses j ust

in t ime to escape . Galloping rapidly back to theshore , and stripp ing h is horse Of saddle and bridle,Arnold took a pistol from his hol ster, and patt ingthe animal ’ s neck , said :Ye shal l not fal l into the enemy ’s hands . Better

l ike Caesar to perish by a friend’s ! Could ye speak,

ye too might say E t tu,Brute !

’ and pointing thefire arm at the head of the horse

,which had so gal

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2 06 CROSSED SWORDS

being aware that they formed the easiest route forinvasion

,both parties during the summer prepared

to vigorously contest their control , and add as mater !

ially as possible to their naval strength . GeneralCarleton contracted with Skilled shipbuilders fromBritain

,and naval stores were gathered from the

fleet on the St . Lawrence , to supplement whichthree vessel s of war, ful ly equipped ,

had been sentfrom England . Twenty gunboats and more thantwo hundred flat - bottomed boats were constructedat Montreal

,the larger ones

,unable to ascend the

rapids, be ing taken to pieces and reconstructed atSt . Johns, making in al l a formidable force .The largest vessel in the fleet was the I nv incible,a three - masted ship

,carrying twenty twelve - pound

guns and ten of smaller s ize . About seven hundredwell - trained sai lors and gunners

,commanded by

officers of known experi ence and tested ski ll , mannedthe boats , upon which was to embark an army of

twelve thousand sold iers and marines .Washington, looking anxiously toward the same

purpose,committed to Arnold the apparently hope

less task of opposing the overwhelming force incourse of preparation . Although every stick of t imher for the l ittl e flot illa would have to be cut fromNew England forests

,where in June it was st i l l

growing,and stores have to be carried from the tide

water of the Atlant ic,over roads which were nearly

impassable,yet

,without questioning, he enthusias

t ical ly commenced Operations .His father having been a seafaring man , with

that early association,and a knowledg e of ship

building and seacraft,he became the l i fe of the dock

DISCRETION 2 07

yard,keeping adze

,calking - i ron and oakum con

stantly busy night and day . Continually going toand fro

,he urged on the work with burning zeal ,

making estimates for mechanics,seamen, naval sup

pl ies,and

,in fact

,everything needful to equip

build,man and arm his l ittle fleet of gundalow s

that bore no semblance,save in name , to those that

floated on moonl i t Venetian lagoons . Their builder,unsustained by the faintest hope that he could aecomli sh anything that would at al l compare with thewel l constructed armament preparing in Brit ishwaters

,nevertheless resolved to oppose to the ut

most of his power its reaching Ticonderoga .

With colors flying from the masthead of hisbattleship

,General Carleton had landed at the port of

Montreal in the early summer . Standing on thedeck, he glanced over the fields and green woodlands lying warm in the Canadian sunshine

,and

on the water flashing in a golden sparkle in thewester ing sun

,upon which his last voyage had been

made in the dead of night as a fugitive . With theinspiration of the contrasting ci rcumstances l ighti ngup his countenance

,he said

,addressing Captain

TempleThe natural elation which thi s occas ion cannot

fai l to excite,together with the report that Arnold

and his men are hurrying south,i s tempered by a

matter o f personal concern,namely

,my anxiety in

regard to the health of my friend Davenant,whom

the trial s and troubles o f our late s iege have woeful ly shattered , both in mind and body . I would Ihad tid ings of h is present condition . I am aware

,

Temple, that ye stand in friendly relations to his

2 08 CROSSED SWORDS

family,so feel that we have common interest in

their w ells being . I f by any means ye can obtaininformation as to thei r state

,I beg your se rvice in

the matter . ”

I t shall be my first duty,General

,as soon as I

can leave my ship,to make the needful inquiri es ,

and immediately report the result ; as not only mydesi re to serve Your Excel lency, but my own fearsand interest

,render me concerned to seek Out their

whereabouts and l earn of thei r conditi on and circumstances . I Shall

,at the earl iest moment possible ,

proceed to thei r late home and seek to gain tiding sof them .

In accordance with hi s promise , a few hours afterreaching port Basil Temple bent hi s steps to thenearest

'

gate of the town,entering which

,his way

lay by the grey stone walls surrounding theChateau de L ér ie. The garden was redolent withthe breath of flowers

,and the sweet

,seduct ive smel l

of moist,green earth

, bringing to his mind the scentof Engl i sh orchards in May . A sigh escaped himas he thought of tha t moonl it November night

,

when on the withered leaves he had last troddeni ts walks

,with heart sore and bruised , that though

he had wooed he could not win sweet Phyll isDavenant . He remembered her gracious

,radi ant

lovel iness as he pleaded hi s suit,and the gentle

answer of her guileless heart,as pure as the l i l i es

growing in stately ranks bes ide the garden paths ; andat the vision of her winsome maidenhood

,war - tr i ed

sailor though he was,he could have wept with long

ing for one tender word from her l ips . As the breeze

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CROSSED SWORDS

Closing the door,and striving desperately to hold

back the mad longing to take'

her in h is arms, heasked in a voice deep with pity and alarm :

Phyll i s,my Phyll is

,what i s it ?”

Oh,my father !” was all she could gasp in reply ,

and si lently beckoning him to follow ,she led him

to an upper chamber, where on a couch lay the oncesoldierly form of Colonel Davenant . -As theyentered

,a look of recognition and rel ief l ighted up

the wasted features of the man,fast sink ing into

death . With a gleam of return ing consciousness , hestretched out hi s hand and laid it on the sai lor’sstrong

,brown one, saying feebly

“ Basi l Temple,ye are a good man and true .

With the insight which comes to the dying, I knowI can trust you to help my daughter

,my l ittle

Phyl l i s,to leave this d i stracted land and reach her

kindred in old England,whose quiet val es

,ala s ! I

never more shal l see . Promise me that ye wi l l notbetray my trust

,and I wil l d ie content . ”

Through the quiet of the chamber,in which the

clock relentlessly ti cked the moments of her'

father’

s

l i fe aw ay, to the ears o f the girl leaning over himin speechl ess grief, came the low ,

earnest wordsI sol emnly promise

,on the honest word of a

sai lor , and by the holy mem ory of my dead mother ,to d o your will and bidding

,by the help of God

,

though i t cost me l i fe it sel f ; and may heaven bed en i ed me i f I wil l ingly or heedlessly betray thesacred trust . ”

A faint pressure of the hand,a few moments’

w aiting and watching , and Basi l Temme l ed awaythe sorrow - stri cken girl

, who th en owned no kin

DISCRETION 2 1 1

nearer than those in a land across leagues of rolli ngocean .

A S soon as the first vi olence of grief had Spentitsel f

,and as immediate action was necessary, he

inquired :I f I can find safe means to send you to my

cousin,Anne Temple

, now soj ourning with kins folkin Philadelphia

,wil l ye be will ing to go to her ?

”

“ Oh,”

she sobbed,I would I had again my

mother ! I am so lone, so l orn ! Could I tell youthe weary anxiety and gri eving of these lOng , sad

months which have passed,you would understand

my craving for a woman ’s sympathy, and how goodit i s now to hear a kind fr iend ’ s voice . I haveheard of thi s sweet cousin of yours

,from those

who have met her in that city,and have learned

that her . beauty of form and feature in no wiseexceeds her ki ndl iness of heart . I wil l glad ly go toher . ”

Noting his look of surprise, she added

I have heard you make mention of th is fai rcousin of yours , and too,

Major Vanrosfeldt hathspoken in her prai se and the man

,look ing at

her, fel t as i f a sword - blade pierced his heart at thesight o f the faint color steal ing into her pale cheekson the mention of that name

,and a l ight i t brought

to her tearful eyes,which he himsel f would have

given a king’s ransom to be powerful to do. Butfor this he might have aga in ‘ besought her to givehim the right to bear her over the seas to the old ,ivy - grown hall among the fai r meadows of Kent .

CHAPTER XIII .

SHIPS IN BATTL E .

TH E dreaming October woods had burst intoscarlet and golden—yellow

,l ik e the bloom of tropic

flowers,here and there touched with the warm pink

of the heart Of the n orthern rose ; and the Brit i shfleet was entering the crystal - green waters of LakeChamplain . In front, under full sa il , rode theI nv incible

,with two schooners

,the L ady M ar ia and

the Car leton,in her wake . Following them came

the rest of the fleet,gunboats and transports

,all

fully equipped with men and guns . With a strengthin fighting ships more than double that o f theenemy, no practi ca l opposit ion was anticipated fromthem .

In the cabi n of the flagship, a young girl , withthe pensiveness o f recent sorrow upon her, satgaz ing out over the water

,to where the shores lay

ca lm and beauti ful under the clear blue sky, and

the wooded banks,in al l the brightness of crimson,

russet and bronze,faded away into the dark ever

greens and mist of the d istant hi l ls . The stil lserenity of the peaceful scene seemed to accord i l lwith the warl ike att itude and hostil e atmosphere onboard a battlesh ip . Al though th e tender melancholy of autumn

,speak ing of death and decay,

brought the tears unbidden to her eyes , Phyll i s2 1 2

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2 1 4 CROSSED SWORDS

moving over the water in al l the maj esty of ful lsai l in a favoring breeze .On board the I nv incible Carleton suddenly be

came aware of the masts and hull s of shippinghidden between Valcour Island and the main shore .Captain Temple at the same moment made a l ikedi scovery, and t urning to the command er he saidconfidently :It i s as I have surmised

,Your Excellency ; that

insignificant fleet of whale—boats skul‘king in the leeof yonder i sland can offer no serious opposit ion t

o

o

our course . With a fa i r wind , not many hourshence wil l see us holdi ng the key of the s ituat ionbut S ir Guy

,remembering the desperate valor of his

adversary, said slowly:

The man in command of that fleet wil l defy anyodds . I do not fo rge t hi s ad

'mirable audacity beforethe wall s of Quebec ; and observe

,even now ,

without waiti ng for our attack

,he i s moving forward

to resist our small er vessel s in front ;“but we wil l

soon bring upon him the consequences of his incredible assurance .At midday

,the Br itish being ranged within

musket- Shot of the American l ine of battle, theaction Opened and soon became general , and fromthe sho re of the mainland to the i sland , the hostil efleets fired at close range . Arnold , in the Cong ressgalley

,to which he had gone after abandoning the

R oyal S av age, which had been run aground ,anchoredin the hottest part o f the fire

,utterly regardless of

ri sk or danger . During the long hours of the afternoon a terr ible cannonading was cont inual ly keptup with round and grape shot, accompanied by a

SHIPS IN BATTLE 2 1 5

constant blaze o f r ifles from Indians hid in thedepths of the adj acent forests . The sounds of theheavy guns reverberating over the water and rol ling am ong the h i lls

,made a din so horrible that

those hold ing Crown Point could there hear thest ruggle upon which their fate depended . TheCong ress, upon which Arnold and Van rosfeldt werefighting

,the latter pointing the guns for the clumsy

and inexperi enced gunners , was kept in the thickestof the combat, and bearing the brun t o f the batt le ,and al though it was torn by repeated shots betweenwind and water

,hulled a dozen t imes

,the rigging

riddled to pieces,and the deck strewn with the dead

and dying,those commanding it had no thought of

submission . By their example of reckless daringand wild cheering

,they sustained

,by word and act .

the courage of their men unti l sundown,showing

themselv es sti l l unbeaten , though terribly crippled .

Turning toward Van rosfeldt, in whom hope wasat last beginning to give way

,Arnold shouted

defiantly :Major, we may go down , but it wil l be with

our flag flying ! I wil l never surrender !”

Feel ing confiden t of ult imate success,and the

early darkness of autum n fast fal l ing,Carleton

posted his ship s across the channel,by which

,i f

escape were attempted , it would have to be made ,but which he fully bel ieved was impossibl e

,and that

with morning the capture of the whole floti lla wascertain .

Such , however, was not the vi ew held in theshattered , disman tled l ittl e fleet lying in the deephaze which was g radually ris ing and hiding thehulls of the bel l igerents from each other

.

2 1 6 CROSSED SWORDS

On the deck of the Cong ress, sl ippery with blood—the yards adrip with the clamm y fog—Arnold andVanros feld t took council together . Their faceswere blackened with powder

,and their clothes torn

and stained with the blood of thei r fallen comrades ,who had gone down in the water surging blue andwhite around them

,when suddenly the latter said

tersely :There i s but a single course open to us

,Colonel ,

i t i s but one chance in a thousand—and only one !With our ammunition almost spent

,we must run

for it ! This fog, now rapidly rising and thickening

,may be our salvat ion .

”

S ilently then towards midnight—in the darknessmade ghastly by the white, waver ing mist—the firstship

,l ik e a phantom of the air, gl ided out, the others

fol lowing with l ights out, save for a singl e lanthorn

in the stern of each , to guide the one in its wake .

In a breathl ess s i lence they passed , one by one,

unperceived , between the hosti le vessels . Bringingup the rear, the Cong ress was the last to stealthrough the danger l ine . Und i scovered

,she too

sa iled by the last spar ; and hee l ing to the breezewhich at the moment arose, they al l bore swi ftlyover the lake .

On the ri sing of the sun,the l i fting mists Spread

rainbow tints over forest and lapping water,when

it seemed to the Engl ish tars,w i th not a thread of

ho st i le rigging in S ight,as i f the American fleet

had been sw allowed up in the waves . Findingin stead , that it had stolen away in the favoring fogand darkness of the night

,sai l s were immediately

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2 1 8 CROSSED SWORDS

dimmed sky . Thus was part ial ly destroyed a postof great importan ce among northern defen ces , itbeing st rongly built , some fifteen hundred yardssquare

,with stout walls s ixteen feet thick , by twenty

feet high .

Through the din of the fierce fighting,Phyll i s

had found shelter below,panic - str icken as the awful

sounds o f the bloody confl ict reached her ears . Inthe terr ibl e months since the gay

,l ight- hearted days

in the sunn y garden s at Montrea l , she had becomefamil iar with the cruel features of war, and capableof the brave bearing and sel f- repression , which totender women are po ssible

,in t imes in which even

men ’s souls are tri ed . No cry of alarm had fallenfrom her pale l ips ; only the drawn l ines aroundthem

,a low moaning, and the occasional wringing

of her hands , told of her mental to rture , a s, pacingto and fro in the narrow space, she l i stened to

dying shrieks of agony or cri es of pain mingli ngwith the hoarse Shouts of battle . Toward eveningthe noi se of the fight gradually lessened

,the sinking

sun sending crimson shafts o f l ight across the wet,red decks

,when she saw four marines carry below

a form,bleeding and disabled . She at once knelt

beside the wounded man,seeking i f haply by some

means she could do aught to ease h is misery . SheShuddered

,but showed no sign o f shrinking, even

when the sailor, who had received Vanrosfeldt

’

s lastshot

,turned his face toward her

,and she saw the

pall id,pain - di storted features of Basi l Temple .

Bleed ing from wounds in the side and right arm ,

he lay with closed eyes,but he forgot the cruel

torment of the lacerated flesh and weakening of the

SHIPS IN BATTLE 2 1 9

flowing blood as he felt her so ft fingers bathe andbind h is wound , and warm tear - drops fal l upon hisbrow

, as Phyll i s , bending over him ,spoke words of

gentlest pity . Through the pain came to him thethought of how he would fight to win back l i fe i fthe love of that woman were but for him , and howl ess hard it would be to die und er the touch of thathand than l ive to see i t claimed by another , andthen a b lessed unconsciousness crept over h is senses ,and love and j ealousy and pain faded away in themists of forgetfulness , and he knew no more . Thenight passed

,and with an overpowering sense of

weakness he again Opened hi s eyes,and in the d im

light of the cabin,saw sitting watching beside him

two figures in black . At first he thought the facenearest him must be that of some fai r angel cometo mini ster to his passing soul

,but emerging from

the lethargy that held hi s senses , he whispered ,Phyll i s !”

Immed iately she leaned over him,and forgetting

the conventional ities of mere fri end ship,cal led him

by the name his mother , who slept in the l ittleKenti sh churchyard with in sound of the sea

,had

given him .

Basil,I am h ere .

A l ight of rapture shone from the hal f- closedeyes as he heard the int imate

,famil iar word

,and

with a grea t effort he said :Phyll i s

,I am a dying man—I love you—love

you, dear .”

She bowed her head and bent towards him, com

passionate tears flowing fast as she thought of themental pain added to hi s bod ily anguish . The

2 2 0 CROSSED SWORDS

priest arose and went to the farthest corner of thecabin, seemingly buried in prayer . The silencewas broken again

,the words comi ng faintly :

I would die happy—could I know—that for thebrief momen ts I have le ft on earth

,you were my

pl ighted wife ; but even th ese few seconds of happiness may not be mine .”

“ I f i t would ease in any wise your pain andmisery, gladly would I grant this grace ,

”she whis

pered softly, her eyes wide with awe and a sweetcompass ion . Quickly

,from the recess to which he

had reti red , the pri est stepped to their side, and in alow voice said

,as he sti l l kept h is features hidden

in the shadow, which hitherto prevented their beingseen :Sister, the man i s dying—soothe h is last

moments by granting hi s prayer .With face as colorl ess as the one regard ing her

with a wistful longing, she quietly placed one handon the wounded one, and the other on the book of

prayers the monk held in his hand and in the s ilencewhispered solem nly and sweetly

1

I prom i se,whil e your l i fe Shal l last .

As she fin i shed , a faint whisper came to her earKiss me once, my sweet love ,

” and she put herl ips to his cheek

,with al l the tender grace and

gentleness which were her dower . He smiled , andwith a s igh of indescribable content laps ed againi nto a state of unconsciousness .A sudden movem ent of the Jesuit caused her torai se her eyes

,and as he turned , as i f to avoid

meet ing her glance,a ray of candle - l ight fel l upon

his features,and starting she exclaimed

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2 2 2 CROSSED SWORDS

belonged to another . Consci ous that the evi l hadbeen wrought unwittingly

, she felt only a tendercompassion for him , who had not then , nor ev ercould have

,from her aught save pity for the cruel

wrong a wayward fate had dealt him .

At length,a faint moan escaping from his l ips

,she

found his eyes fixed sadly upon her . Great dropsof misery beaded his brow,

as regard ing her hesaid :Phyll i s

,I have acted a dastard’s part . Thus

unworthi ly have I fulfil led your father’s dying trust .I cannot fl ing away the l i fe which i s coming backto me unsought, but I pray heaven the bullet i sal ready cas t that wil l rid me of it . One ki ss i s al lof pl ighted troth that I have craved , and I swearby all a man holds honorable and most holy , i tshal l be the last . In the face of what seemed certa indeath

,I laid these unwelcome bonds upon you , but

trust me,the vows of yonder pr iestly cel ibate are

not more sacred and bindi ng than thi s I now takeupon me—of holding you to them only for theright to protect your innocence from harm unti l youare safe with fri ends or kind red .

”

Leaning ‘ towards him,with a look and tone

which made more keenly bitter to him the keepingof his promi se

,she sa id quietly, with a grat itude

but al l too apparentBasi l Temple

,as my dying father said

,You

are a good man and true .

The Briti sh found Crown Po int when theyarrived unfit for occupat ion , and the ruins sti l lsmouldering from the burn ing by Arnold . Their

SHI PS IN BATTLE 2 2 3

repai r so l ate in the season was thought to be um

advzi sable, so word was at once sent to Burgoyne,who was encamped some miles away, summoninghim to confer as to the wisdom of proceeding to

Ticonderoga, to which Arnold had fledNo sooner was i t night, and the sky above them

darkened by the smoke from the ruined buildings ,than the B rit i sh troops , exhausted by the tumult ofthe day

,hurriedly prepared to b ivouac on the field .

Unnoticed in the confusion , a dark form fromamong them stole into a hal f- ruined cel lar, and ,creeping from stone to stone, hasti ly took the trai lalong which the Continentals had fled a few hoursbefore . All through the hours of the night hehurried l ight - footed in the damp and rustl ing woods ,starting at even the sound of his own footfalls .From time to time he stopped and hearkened , l estthe far- away cry of the wi ld creatures o f the forest ,or the di stant whistle of the brown deer from itshemlock covert

,might be the running of pursuer s

on his track,susp icious of hi s deserting to the

enemy .

Without food,and w i th only water from the lake

,

which he ventured to the shore to hurriedly drinkthe morning brought a lagging of ene rgy in thesl ight frame

,almost womanly in its del icacy . As

the grey dawn d efined the scene more clearly,the

fugitive,weary - white

,scanned the l a ke shore

anxiously for a s ight of the wall s of Fort Ti conderoga

,which he knew could not be far distant

,only

twelve miles lying between it and the one he hadleft . As the sun rose he pressed on

,unti l

,among

the crimsoning green of the dreamy woods,the

2 2 4 CROSSED SWORDS

abutments of the fort could be dist inctly seen ; buta ful l half - mile sti l l lay between the gate and thetired feet dragging themselves toward it . Thestones and bram bles on the way had to rn his fleshand wounded his feet

,but with the goal in s ight he

rall ied again,fighting with a d imness in the eye and

a sound of rushing water in the ear for which theplacid lapping of the lake gave no reason . But afew more rods were left

,when

,with a sudden

darkening of the skies and a feel ing of helpless s inking

,he fell .A few minutes after , a small bod y of sold iers,detailed 'by Maj or Vanrosfeld t to scout along thenarrow path on the shore, an d report i f any freshmovement on the part of the Briti sh was apparent ,came upon the prostrate form of a Jesuit pr i est ,senseless

,white

,but st i l l breathing . Stooping over

him,one of them exclaimed :A monk

,and none other ! I have not seen one

with thi s - cut o f coat s ince I l eft the white conventat Quebec, where but for the good nurs ing of som eof hi s fai th

,more than one of us lads would now be

lying within sound of their chapel bel l .’

Now i t i sour turn , boys , an d we will ca rry this holy man intothe fort . ”

As they l i fted the prostrate and helpless form ,

the cowl fel l back,reveal ing the del icate

,marble

l ike features,and the same speaker exclaimed :

By my faith,i f he i s not the Brother Jerome

who, though he be not quite to the mind of astaunch Puritan

,spoke holy words when neither

parson nor deacon could reach my bed !”

Bearing him in thei r arms they carr ied the l ight

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2 2 6 CROSSED SWORDS

to take up h is temporary posi tion in the vicini ty ofthe l i ttl e cluster o f houses known as Three Rivers .There his wi fe

,the Barones s

,and her children were

expected to j oin him,they having left Wol fen

butten,near Brunswick

,the May previous .

As the I nv inci ble drew near Quebec,Phyl l i s

stood in the bow gazing at the grey wall s,the tears

almost bl inding them from her sight,as poignant

memori es of the past rushed to her mind . Fromyonder ramparts had fluttered her signal of d i stress ;from yonder gate she had fled for protection to

~

theman standing on the deck a few feet from her . Hewas apparently inten t on the docking of the ship ,but she could not but know that he was sharing herthoughts—rem embering her terror and peri ls onthat day . As she thought of h is gallant efforts tosuccor her in her helpl essness , she was fil led with adeep pity and grat itude

,which she might have

thought was love , could she have forgotten aw inter eve on that same river

,and the words of

another : Remember,th ere was on e man who

loved you with a love than which no man can everfeel a greater . ” Alas ! she kn ew it Was not lovethat set her heart a- beat ing, but rather somemeasure of fear

,as turning

,with a few quick strides

he stood bes ide her . His own was weighted wi tha heavy oppress ion , and sti l l pale from his wounding, hi s face bl eached to a deadly hue, as knowingthat the hour of part ing had come

,he wot not

when he might again look into those blue . t roubledeyes

,with thei r tear - wet lashes . Scarce daring to

meet their gaze,he bent over her . Looking down

to hid e the signs of her em otion , she held out her

SHIPS IN BATTLE 2 2 7

hand in s ilent farewell . Suddenly be grasped itand holding it fast, as i f he could not let her go, hesaid in a low vo ice

,in a tremor that would not be

restrainedPhyll is

,Heaven alone knows when we tw o may

meet again . You are my pl ighted wi fe ; but thosewords spoken to one whom ye thought to be adying man shall not bind you to me i f your heartsays otherwise . With the help of God I wil l striveto forget them ,

to thi nk of them as unsa id , but mydarl ing—that kiss— it s sweetness and tender pityburn and break my heart ! I

,a sa ilor who has seen

battle and death in many forms without fl inch'ing ,

am weak and unstabl e as the water flowing aroundus

,in the intensity of my love for you . Have I

even the faintest hope that I may ever win a measureof yours in return ? Can

”

ye love me,Phyll i s ?”

Gently withdrawing her hand,laying it upon his

arm,and looking up as once before she had done in

the old chateau in Montreal,her grief and d i stress

scarcely less than h is own , she answered :Basi l Temple

,between us there should be

nothing but perfect understanding . In sight ofthose ram-parts and with our mutual memori es

,I

would speak to you naught but the simple t ruth .

You are too gal lant , too chivalrous and noble tohave aught el se . Less than a woman’s whol eheart would be unworthy your acceptance .

‘Alas !i t i s not in my power to give it to you .

”

At that moment the vessel was moored , and leading her silently to the gang- plank

,unable to aecom

pany her ashore himsel f,he placed her in charge of

an i nferior, to conduct her to the city . Taking her

2 2 8 CROSSED SWORDS

hand in parting he bowed low over it , in fashion ascourtly and deferen t ial as i f at the throne of hisQueen . Not a word was spoken to detain her—not

a syllable of entreaty —only a low - breathed Godkeep you—may all fai r fortune attend you,

” and hewas alone with only taunt ing longings and haun tingmemories . A s he watched the slender figure ascendthe steep road and at last d isappear, he groaned :Heaven help me !”

Within the city wal l s, to which after the l i ftingof the siege they had at last foun d ingress , Phyll i ssought and found asylum with Monsieur andMadame de L ér ie. The once handsome face of themother was pale and wan, and sadly l ined throughsleepl ess nights and days of grieving . TakingPhyll i s

,who was weeping bitterly at the sight

,into

her arms,th e forlorn woman said :

Ah , my dear chi ld , to see your sweet facebrings back to me my lost Therese . Stay w i th me ,child

,and we will be mother and daughter . Raoul

i s well - nigh mad with gri ef at the mys tery surrounding the fate of hi s betrothed ,

whom he hasloved since her childhood . He l ives but for revenge ,

and there i s promise of good Opportunity therefor ,as the great lord s in England are planning a g randcoup d

’

état,which wil l utterly quel l thi s insane

revolt . General Burgoyne,with the Germ an

mercenaries , as some call them ,i s to proceed by

the Richel ieu and Champlain towards the Hudson ,up which General Howe will advance to meet him ,

and a th ird contingent wil l sai l up thi s r iver to apoi nt cal led Oswego

,on Lak e On tario, and ther e

wil l be j oined by S ir John Johnson,and the Indians

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2 30 CROSSED SWORDS

and l eggings, had come in from camp or forest trailto keep the festive season in family gatheringsaround the home hearth . Long—robed

,cowled friars

hurried by,between vigil s and prayers

,in strik ing

contrast to the picturesque scene .In the morning, with the January sun shini ng

unclouded and clear, the church bell s called to

spec ial services,ringing out j oyously over the snow

white streets ; and from nave and choir, throughcathedral chancel and transept

,the Jubil ate

swel led and echoed . There were prayers of thankfulness and songs of pra ise—then a solemn hushand the measured tread of feet, as eight unhappywretches

,wi th downcast eyes and halters aroun d

their necks,marched toward the altar- rails

,and

knelt upon the steps . To show their penitence forhaving sympathized with the invaders

,they had

,in

the s ight and hearing of the people, to crave thepardon of God , the Church and their King . Afterthe masses and services were ended , there werepromenadi ng, marching and parading, the guns ofthe fortress

,above which floated the standard of

England aga inst the wintry sky, roaring a few de

yoze.

In the evening the ci ty was ablaze with l ight andrevel ry

,and the streets gay with guests in fest ive

attire,hieing them to Castle St . Louis to hold revel

wi th dance and feast ing.

At Governor Carleton’s board,s ixty gues ts sat

down to a banquet, and amid toasts and a merrytinkl ing of glasses , with flowing Madeira and oldsack

,he was fel icitated upon the change of fortune

SHIPS IN BATTLE 2 3 1

the twelve moons had brought around . Phyll is , inher sombre black , was seated beside the BaronessVon Riedesel , the wi fe of the comm ander of theHessian al l i es . She had some time be fore arrivedin the Colony to j oin her husband , a brave soldierwho had been shameful ly sold by his own princeto fight in ‘a foreign war .In no mood for revels or merry - making, Phyll i s

had trembl ingly shrunk from the thought of takingpart in a scene of gaiety

,but Madame de L ér ie,

whose mind was breaking down under the strain ofsorrow and d istress

,insi sted that she do the Lady

Carleton ’s bidding,showing a ch ild ish del ight in

the thought that i t was to hold high festi val forthe repul se of the hated foes who had stolen herchi ld and broken her heart . To please her, Phyll i shad overcome her repugnance and allowed the poorweak - mind ed woman to dress her hair , and put onher here and there an ornament

,being scarcely able

to keep back her tears as the bereft mother, seeming at times to think that it was her own Therese shewas decking for a fete

,called Phyll i s by her chi ld ’s

name .

In her place among the guests at the castle,in

spite of her utmost sel f- restraint,the tears there

would not be controlled,but fill ed her eyes at the

sight of her father’s vacant place being fil led byanother . Noticing the fluctuating color of the girl ’sface and the trembl ing of her hands

,the kind

hearted Baroness turned to her and saidThis night is strangely in contrast to this hour

a year ago.

”

2 32 CROSSED SWORDS

Yes,Madame

,that terrible night leaves hard and

bitter memori es,

” and glancing at her black dress ,and thinking of what i t betokened , she sighed :Alas

,Madame

,war , whether i t bring victory or

defeat,means sad hearts and em pty places . ”

Seeing the restraint the girl . was putt ing uponhersel f in stri ving to control her feel ings

,the con

s iderate Germ an gentl ewoman strove to lead herthoughts away from the crowding mem ories of thepast by te l l ing her of the sunny Rhineland

,of her

own home among the vineyards of Germany, andthe old cas tl e on the cl iff where her ch i ldren wereborn . As Phyll i s l istened

,the tense l ines of her

face softened,and as the good lady told her

humorous anecdotes of her rough voyage , and of

her recept ion at the Engl i sh court,she smiled , and

even a silve ry laugh rang out , as with an amusedmow

,the Baroness told how the King had kissed

her at the drawing- room at his royal palace .“ You see

,meme li ebe

,she sa id

,

“ the Queenhad graciously expressed a wish to see me

,somy

Lady Germaine,whose husband , as you know ,

i sthe mini ster for thes e colonies

,with great tact and

kindness presented me with a court—dress,in which

to appear w'orthily before their Maj est ies in thei rLondon palace, which , when we arrived , to speakthe truth , I thought was somewhat old - fashioned inits furniture . At the hour appointed

,the ladies and

g entlemen al l took thei r places in the audiencechamber, when the King , wi th three gentl emenwalking in front of him

,came into the room

,the

Queen following with a lady hold ing up her train,

and attended by a gentleman—in - waiting. The King

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2 34 CROSSED SWORDS

sudden giving way of the mental faculties , Madamede L ér ie grew rapidly worse . The last few mon thsbecame a blank to her

,and she was possessed by the

il lusion that Therese was st il l in the convent,and

thither she begged piteously to be taken . Whenopposed in her desire, she fel l into such a frenzy thati t was deemed advi sabl e to put her in retreat . Asshe longed for the convent, thither she was takenand placed under the care of the Abbess

,her si ster

,

who,overcome by what she protested had been

brought about by her own lack of vigilance andwisdom , gave the poor, mind - beclouded creature,who was qu i te passi ve in her hands, the most tendercare . Each night as she placed her securely in thecel l next to her own , where Therese had oncedonned her vei l of disguise

,the nun ben t her steps

to the chapel and there knelt , with hands clasped inan agony of prayer and penitence, the grey dawncreeping through the narrow windows often findingher sti l l on her knees prostrate on the altar steps .Phyll i s

,once more l eft fri endless and homeless ,

was taken to the motherly care and domest i c ci rcleof the good Frau Von Riedes el

,and when early in

the year they returned to their temporary home inThree Rivers

,she j ourneyed thither with them and

became a member of the Baroness ’ household .

With the coming of spring the sap once againran sweet in the map l es of Canadian wood s .Under the blue skies the bee sipped from the pi nkand white of flowering fields

,and the swallow

dipped its wing in the sunny ai r . Wi th the opening of the streams and lakes , the Baron , impatien t

SHIPS IN BATTLE 2 35

for action, had once more l ed his Hessians i nto thefield

,l eaving somewhat unwill ingly the women and

children in the rust ic q uiet of thei r hum ble andunfamil iar surroundings .Along the paths of the quaint l itt le French vi l lage

of Three Rivers the matronly form of the Germangentlewoman

,with her blue - eyed chi ldren, and the

gold—haired Engl ish girl,with her sweet

,sad face

and sombre garments,soon became obj ect s of

famil iar interest to the peasant women of the hamlet.

As they sat at thei r doors Spinning in the sunl ight ,singing l ittl e Breton lullabys or crooning folk - songsto the babe rocking in the cradle at their side, theywere glad in thei r s imple hearts when they couldoffer them kindness or ci vil ity .

In the peaceful and sequestered seclusion o f theSpot

,the week s passed without event

,unti l the sum

mer suns of mid - July were yellowing the fields o frye and barley

,and the wind shaking the ripen

ing young apples to the ground , when the l ittlehamlet was thrown into a frenzy of excitementat a flotil la of frigates sai l ing up the river to

proceed as far as i t Was nav igable by such craft .It was soon known that the coup d

’

état hadbegun

,and that Colonel S t . Leger was making

for Oswego, to j oin with the other Briti sh commands in s imultaneously crushing what theylooked upon as an insane and mad revolt

,which

they were confident could hope for nothing saveultimate d isaster . The women prayed and wai ted

,

unti l at length,when the mai ze in the fie lds was

fill ing in the ear,and the August twil ight lengthen

ing the purpl ing shadows in the forest,a bodyguard

2 36 CROSSED SWORDS

of sold iers arrived in the vi llage . They brought ame ssage from the Baron , who was camped at FortEdward

,conveying his desire that hi s wi fe and her

household should immediately j oin h im there . Hewould have them change the dull p icturesqueness ofan obscure Canadian vi llage for a share in the army ’ santicipated triumphal entry into New York .

With loving alacrity the summons was obeyed ,Phyll i s to accompany the Baroness

,who

,assured by

her confiden ce in her husband ’s success in arms ,l ooked upon the venture as a mere summer jauntof pleasure . Bl ithely they embarked in the boatsprovided for their conveyance over the first stage ofthe progress

,which was to be by water ; the remain

der of the journey to be continued by land overroads which had been purposely obstructed

'

by theenemy to hamper and retard as much as possiblethe movements of the Briti sh troops . S o successfully had thi s been done that i t had taken the general

’

s men a month to compass the twenty - fiv e mileslying between S keensborough and Port Edward .

To the travel lers it was so exhausting that theirarrival at last at the i r destination was most grateful .Expecting shortly to hear of the fall of Fort S chuyler , which it was St . Leger

’s purpose to reduce , andfully bel ieving that Howe was moving up the river ,General Burgoyne , with the w it o f a man of fashion

,and the gallantry of a soldier who was certain

of victory, in his bravest att i re welcomed the ladiesto the fort . He assured the baroness that it wouldbe a mere soj ourn of pleasure

,as Brit ish sold iers

never retreat, and the crushing of those impudent

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CHAPTER X IV

D O OR D IE !

WHEN Colonel St . Leger with hi s chasseurslanded on the lake shore of northern New York , hisforce was smal l

,but he was soon j oined by S ir John

Johnson with his famous “ Royal Greens , and abod y of Rangers . The tribes of the Mohawk v al

l ey,with thei r great chief, Thayendanega, a pure

blood Mohawk,known to the whites as Joseph

Brant,al so swel led the number .

As St . Leger approached the neighborhood of

Fort Schuyler , wi th these strangely assorted rank sunder his command

,a fierce l ight of hate burned in

h is eyes, and a fire of revenge consumed his wholebeing, as ruthless as the lust for blood in the coppercolored savages under him . He had learned thatthe lonely fortress lying at the head of boat navigat ion on the Mohawk River, and which had been butpartial ly restored and strengthened , was commandedby Colone l Gansevoort

,with Major Vanrosfeldt next

in rank and authori ty . Addressing himse lf to thetwo other leaders

,and pointing in the d irecti on of

the stronghold,he said fiercely

“When yonder fort fall s,the fate of the mob of

rebels i s in v our hands ; I ask for but the l i fe of oneman with in its walls . There are scores to settle’twixt us other than those our insulted Sovereign

2 38

DO OR DIE ? 2 39

and country demand,and whi ch only hi s blood will

wipe out. It wil l be war to the hi lt ! Edward Vanrosfeldt will answer to Raoul St . Leger for the fouldeed that blackens hi s rebel soul

,in the theft o f my

betrothed bride ! When we come face to face heshall breathe only long enough to answer to mydem and as to her whereabouts and fate !”

Impatient of delay On to Fort Schuyler !” heordered

,and marshal l ing his nondescr ipt fol lowing,

the march was at once taken up . Brant ’s redskins ,with eyes gleaming

,tomahawk in hand and hungry

for plund er, l ed off at a wol f trot in single file . Alertand cautious

,the force stole through the forest

trail s,ready to concentrate on the sl ightest alarm ,

but ful ly expecting soon to be in possess ion of thepost

,in which it was understood there were only

about seven hundred men ,with

,i t was thought

,but

slender suppl i es . We l l s ituated on the watershedbetween the great lakes and the Hudson

,and

strongly built of t imber and earthworks,i t was

,

however , a somewhat formidable defence .

St . Leger and h is men coming at length in sightof i ts log bast ions

,stealthily approached , thei r

movements hidden in the blurring mists of a rainthat was dismal ly fal l ing. Halting within safe d istance , a counci l was held ,

and w ithin an hour anofficer , bear ing

'

;a white flag,boldly advanced over

the sodden ground toward the great gate,demand

ing a surrender in the name of His Maj esty theKing, which impe rious order was laughed to scornby the men of the garrison . The following morningthree officers from the Canadian camp arrived witha message to be del ivered in person to the com

2 40 CROSSED SWORDS

mander of the fortress . They were led bl indfoldwithin the wal ls

,conducted to his presence, and

received in a room with the windows shut , andl ighted by candles

,to prevent an accurate knowl

edge of the place’ s strength being gained . The message which they ca rried was at once made known ;i ts weight being strengthened by dark suggest ionsof eagerness for slaughter on the part of the Indians ;St . Leger, in a manner unwarrantable and unpr e

cedented in a Brit ish sold i er , al lowing his own

implacable des i re for personal vengeance to overrule hi s instincts o-f humanity, and

‘

m ake him for

the t ime forget the high standard of honorable warfare which had ever dist inguished the army heserved

,in defence or attack .

At the threat, Vanrosfeldt strode forward , hot

with passion,and addressing the speaker

,l ooked

ful l i n the man’ s face,saying with cutting emphasis :

D o I understand you aright , sir, that you havecome from a Briti sh Colonel who commands theforce that invests thi s fort ? By your uni form you

appear to be an officer in the Brit i sh serv ice ,although your words bel i e it . Have you come tothe commandant of thi s garrison to tel l him that i fhe does not del iver the post into the hands of yourColonel , he wil l send his Indians to murder all withinit, not excepting the women and children ? Such , Iam bound in honesty to say, are not the customarytemper and tactics

,as I remember them ,

of the armyin which he holds command

,so you wil l be pleased

to reflect that the ir blood wil l be upon his head andhis alone !We are doing our duty here . This fo rt has been

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CROSSED SWORDS

had been wil l ing to barter their fellow countrymento fight in Ameri ca ; but in those coloni sts arose theold Gothic spiri t with which thei r fathers had daredthe invincibl e mil itary genius of the Caesars . Theold battle - cr ies were again shouted : Death i sbetter than a l i fe o f shame ! If l i fe be short

,the

more cause to do bravely while i t lasts !” Leavingthe plough in the furrow and the upland white untoharvest, they dogg ed ly took down the old fl intlocksfrom beneath the strings of dried apples and herbshanging from the chimney l edges ; and sharpeningblades , rusty from long disuse, prepared to driveback the foe— or die ! By common consent theleadership was given to Nicholas Herkimer , aveteran of threescore years

,who

,with his men

,

thereupon stoutly set forth . As they marched theuneven ranks were swelled at every bypath andcross r- oad In the vall ey

,unti l on reaching Oriskany

,

some eight miles from the post,his fol lowers num

bered about eight hundred . Communicat ion withthe fort to secure concerted action be ing imperative ,three messengers were d ispatched th ither to tel l ofthe advance of a rel ie f party to i ts aid . Unawarethat an attempt for thei r succor was being made,the garr ison thought that the surrounding forest

,

al ive with the red and green of the regulars and thepaint and feathers of the savages , teemed withdeath for them in its most revolt ing forms

,unti l the

trusty messengers from the German camp,

floundering through a dangerous swamp, tottered halfdead into the fort

,and told of the reinforcements

on the way .

It was accordingly arranged that a furious sort ie

D O OR D IE ? 2 43

be made from the fort upon the Canadians , and atthe sam e time Herkimer make an onslaught uponthei r rear

,and thus crush them at a single blow .

Upon absolute co—operation the success of thescheme depend ed . To ensure it, a di scharge of threeguns from the fort was to be the signal ; upon hearing which the Germans were to start at once inorder to t ime their arr ival to the r ight moment forattack . The beleaguered garr ison meantime were tomake such demonstrat ions as would concentrate thewhole attention of the enemy upon themselves

,in

order that Herkimer be not surprised , and a properinte rval o f time elapse be fore they sall ied forth infull force .It was reckoned when the messengers set out that

they should reach Fort Schuyler at about three inthe morning, but i t was almost noon when , utterlyexhausted with the danger and difficul ty of steal ingthrough the morasses which lay in their way

,thei r

errand was there made known . Through the passing hours of the morning it had been with d ifficultythat Herkimer could keep control of hi s voluntee rforce . Unused to camp discipl ine

,and fil led with

alarm as to what was tak ing place a few miles d istant , they were in an agony of impatience to marchon at once . Frenzied by the delay

,and doubting

not that their messengers had fallen into an ambushand peri shed , mutinous whispers and dark looksamong the men began to threaten the taking ofauthority into thei r own hands . The father of oneof the youths who had offered himsel f for the carrying out of the task

,with eyes in which a dull

,fierce

anger burned , advanced to his neighbor, Herkimer

2 44 CROSSED SWORDS

—who waited in stol id s i len ce for the expected signal - and with clenched fist, looking hotly into hisface

,sa id :M ein Gott, Nicholas Herkimer, thou art a

coward to bide here w hen death marches but a fewmiles on !”

The commander looked around,and seeing a

dogged d eterminati on on the sull en faces, and amutinous movem ent a s of shouldering of arms , hegave the order , and the column moved on ; not knowing that at the moment their comrades

,toi l ing and

struggl ing,were yet two hours distant from the post,

where thei r message was sti l l undel ivered . Cautiousas they had been

,however

,the approach of rein

forcements had already been discovered by S t .Leger ’ s scouts

,and a strong detachment of the

Royal Greens,together with B rant and h is braves

,

were on the way to intercept them . They had reacheda point about two miles d istant from the fort, wherethere was a semici rcular ravine

,through which a

causeway of logs traversed the swampy ground , withsteep banks on either side covered with trees andunderbrush . The experienced eye of Brant at oncesaw the extreme strength of the spot as an ambuscade

,and under hi s d irecti on it was soon prepared

with the deadly ski l l and intel l igence for which hewas famed . S i lently then in the ambush theywaited .

Herkimer and his raw army reached the brink of

the ravine,and unwitt ing o f the awful welcome

awa i ting him,he led the way down into the valley o f

death—the very mouth of Hell ! Before the rearguard could follow from the ris ing ground , a mur

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2 46 CROSSED SWORDS

discovered that a party of Tori es from their ownval ley had j oined the Indians ; and those who weretheir neighbors and had been their fri ends foughtagainst them for two mortal hours of carnage . Inthe gloom

,neighbors went down in the sl ippery ,

yielding bog clasped in a death strug le, thei r handsgrasping the knives plunged in each other ’s hearts ,as they desperately cursed or as despairinglyprayed .

A s i f in sympathy with the fearful carnival ofdeath

,nature added to its t errors . The heat of

the summer morning was intolerable,and dark thun

der—clouds hanging over the ravine at the beginningof the confl ict soon enveloped i t in a gloom as ofmidnight . The wind howled through the trees , andthe rain poured in torrents down the s ides into theswamp below . Lightning in sheets , and with sharpflashes

,i l lumined the scene with lurid horror ; but the

crash and crack of terrific peal s o f thunder scarceserved to drown the wild clashing and uproar of

hundreds of men in mortal str i fe below .

Down went the gallant regulars of England , theIndians and Germans

,some pitching forward on

their faces,others reel ing backward

,clutching at

thei r wounds and writhing i n pain,or fall ing in

stantly dead, struck true to the heart ; for thosefarmers , too ,

shot straight and wel l . All around onboth sides there were dismal groans

,moans of

anguish,and cries of despair . Here and there

,

si lenced by a quietness that was never to be broken ,the dead lay in heaps l ike the windrows of the peaceful meadows . The wet muskets becoming useless ,the bayonet and the kn i fe fini shed the work of

DO OR DIE ? 2 47

slaughter,unti l more than five hundred men were

ki lled and wounded .

S o determi ned and firm had been the res istanceoffered

, and so unexpected the prowess of thefarmer- soldiers

,that the Ind ians at last gave way

and fled in all direct ions . The remnant of the regular troops thus finding themselves deserted

,became

disconcerted and began to retreat up the westernroad ; the blood - stained Patriots

,too weak to pursue,

remaining in possess ion of the hardly—won field .

At that moment the warfare of the elements , too,

ceased,and the clouds rolled away

,tra il ing l ike

vei l s of lace over the hi l ls . As the first ray of sunshine fl ickered through the wet leaves

,through the

ai r came the booming of guns—one —two —three !the S ignals for which they Should have waited ! Following it came the crackle o f musketry from thed i rect ion of the fort

,where i t was expected the

reli ef force would shortly appear to i ts a id , and towhom it sounded as the stroke of doom .

The Canadians also heard the il l - omened reports ,and made all possible haste to return and j oin thei rown army under St . Leger . The remainder of thePatriots , making l itters o f branches , bore back theirwounded to Ori skany

,the point from which they

had goaded their leader to make a premature march,

and which 'had led them to the ambush ; the manwho had called Nicholas Herkimer a coward

,being

le ft behind in the val ley of the dead . The sorti e wasmade from the fort

,and the di saster in the

ravine having weakened the Briti sh strength,i t was

,

although without assistance , a bri l l iant success , andthey were completely routed , leaving large spoil s

2 48 CROSSED SWORDS

of ammunition , clothing, food and drink to be carr ied into the fort . 'As a S ign of victory one of thecaptured standard s was ordered to be run up overthe fortress . Maj or Vanrosfeldt, turning in protest

,said abruptlyColonel

,i f we would hoist a flag

,i t i s only fitt ing

that i t should be the one our country has adopted !”

But,Maj or

,we have none such , so must per

force content ourselves with this .”

N0 other flag,Colonel , should now float above

thi s fort,save that for love of which so many of our

gallant bluecoats l i e dead yonder on the grass !” wasthe stout reply .

Hold,I hav e a thought !” exclaimed the officer

addressed,and turning to the color - sergeant, who

stood irresolute,he commanded : Bring hither the

red coat of yon poor fel low,who

,alas ! this day

fought well and hard for hi s flag . He wil l neverneed it more

,an’ i t must now serve another pur

pose .” As the man made haste to obey him,he

cal ledGo to my luggage and from the befril l ed shirts

therein bring me the best among them ; and you ,Vanrosfeldt

, must furni sh a field for stars i n thatblue coat of yours .Soon with nimble fingers the man was tear ing the

red and white into str ips,which

,deftly t ied upon the

blue, he ran up as the bann er of the united colonieso f America —the men making the breeze that unfolded its starless tatters tremble with thei r huzzas .In the murderous fight each s ide lost about one

thi rd of thei r number,mainly in hand to hand

struggles ; as at Bunker Hill , they could see the

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2 50 CROSSED SWORDS

they crouched in h id ing,not knowing whether to

advance or retreat . At length towards dawn thesky began to clear, and to their j oy, by the l ight ofthe pale morning star

,they d iscovered the course

they wished to follow . Taking a meandering route ,they reached at length the German flats in safety .

There,mounting fleet horses

,they hurr ied down the

valley to the headquarters of General Schuyler, who,

having already heard of the terribl e encounter in theravine, was trying to dev i se some m eans of succorfor the fort .Being then implored for assistance

,he at once

called a counci l and urged that a detachment be sentforthwith to retain possession of the important postand save thei r comrades in arms from a bloodydefeat .Although a man of exalted character

,with a

courage which no reverse could shake,and always

ready for action in h i s country’s need,some of the

officer s who regarded him with disfavor treated hisappeal with i rresolution and lack of ardor, althoughhe earnestly besought them to do as he proposed ,and hasten to the rel i ef o f the fort bearing his name .As he paced the floor in anxious sol icitude, thes i l ence around was broken by a whisper whichreached the ears of all present and fel l upon h i sown : He only wishes to weaken the army .

”

As the vi le and utterly unmerited insinuation wasspoken, he swung upon his heel and confronted theslanderer

,his face blaz ing with indignant passion .

So fierce was hi s anger that the stem of the pipe hewas smoking was crushed between hi s teeth and fellin pieces to the ground , as he thundered out :

D O OR D IE ? 2 5 1

Enough ! I will assume the whole responsibi l ityof this ! Where i s the brigadier who wil l go ?”

All sat in sullen si lence ; but sudd enly, Arnold,who for some time had been brooding over what hecons idered the unjust course pursued by Congress ,i n promoting his j uniors in rank to positions abovehim

,jumped to his feet impetuously and exclaimed :Here am I ! Washington sen t me to make my

self useful,and I wil l go !

”

Schuyler grasped his hand gratefully,and immed

iately the drum beat the assembly ” and twelvehundred volunteers were enrolled for the service .The next morning the expedition started up theMohawk valley . Arnold pushed forward with hischaracterist i c energy, but was , however, so muchretarded by the natural d ifficult ies of the way, thatful l three weeks passed ere he found himsel f withintwenty miles o f the fo rt . Chafing at the i rri tatingdelay

,when it was so imperative that no time should

be lost in bring i ng encouragement to the threatenedgarri son

,and in d isheartening as much as possible

thei r lurking enemy,he heard with di squietude of

strategic movements on the part of the Briti sh army .

He became aware that Burgoyne , to inter fere withhi s designs and prevent the carrying out of hisintentions

,was detaching a force of German m ercen

aries to intercept him,a second cont ing ent to follow

to the support of the first .These foreign all ies found they had a difficult task

to perform,and their progress was slow over roads

that the heavy rains had made almost impassable .They were at the same time handicapped by theclumsiness of their accoutrements , their brass hel

2 5 2 CROSSED SWORDS

mets and heavy sabres alone weighing more than thefull equipment of a Bri tish sold ier . Mounted onhorseback in the Open, those Brunswick chasseu rs ,with thei r short

,thick rifles

,wer e a formidabl e

foe ; but afoot in the hum id heat Of the monthof August , trying to march over rutted cart - tracks,those mil itary Gol iaths in armor were hardly a matchfor the native Davids in shepherd coat and sl ing .

This events proved,for soon the second troop on the

march descried ahead o f them their comrades O f theadvance body

,in full retreat; bringing tidings of a

terr ible d i saster . They related that the day beforesmall squads Of men

,mostly in Shirt - sleeves or

farmer’s smocks,were seen gathering. Armed only

with fowl ing- pieces , they were assumed to be Brit ishsympath izers seeking the protection of the troops,and apparently unable to defend themselves .Deceived by appearances

,by the middle of the

afternoon the unsuspecting Germans had foundthemselves surrounded by a desperate and determined foe

,who rushed upon them in the sp iri t of

their l eader,Starke

,who

,as he led them to the

charge,shouted :

We wil l e ither beat the British,or Molly Starke

wil l sleep a widow to night !”

The Americans had fought with the abandon of

a forlorn hope ; the Hessians resisting stoutly,until

,their ammunition beginn ing to fa i l

,thei r

firing slackened . Perceiving this,the Yankees

rushed into the entrenchments,and it was then gun

stock against sabre,and on the fall o f the Brit i sh

leader, his men becoming d i scomfited , a rout ensued ,many of . them being left behind as pri soners .

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2 54 CROSSED SWORDS

they found it deserted ; the woman , having beenalarmed

,had eviden tly taken refuge with neighbors

in some less lonely place . There the two oddlyassorted companions obtained shelter

,and day by

day they ventured forth to l earn what was takingplace, not aware that Arnold was marching up thevalley to the assistance o f the fort . Chancing to

cross the path Of one of hi s scouting pa rt ies,the

pri est and his companion,not giving a sati sfactory

explanation of the i r presence , were carri ed beforehim . Something in the Jesuit’ s effemin'ate appearance and sl ight French accent aroused suspicion , anddespite hi s frantic and hysterical protestations ofinnocence

,he was summarily sentenced to pay the

penalty Of spying,and swing for it .

Fall ing on his knees,and call ing upon Heaven to

witness to the truth of hi s words, he vehementlyasserted hi s wil l ingness to give any proof demandedof him to Show his hatred of the Brit ish cause, andhis sympathy with the Cont inentals .Arnold

,keenly searching his pall id countenance

for sign s of diss imulation , sa id in a voice ofthunder :I f Spy you are , I swear you sha ll hang, and that

ere another sun set—but i f not,prove the truth of

what ye say by carrying out my orders , an’ ye shall

find ful l pardon .

”

Name your wishes,and I shall conform to

them,

” was the trembl ing reply .

“Then mark them well,S ir Monk, but I have no

appetite for double—d eal ing,so i t behooves you

,i f ye

would save your holy neck , to go to the camp ofthis St . Leger

,and so weaken hi s courage by creat

DO OR DIE ? 2 55

ing a panic am ong h is troops,that he wil l forthwith

abandon his intended s iege . I wi l l send an Oneidascout to watch your movements

,who,

on the firstbreath of suspicion Of your cozening me , willinstantly murder you in cold blood .

”

The garrison of the fort,in the meant ime ,

ignorant of the fate o f Vanrosfeldt and hi s companions

,and finding the provi sions much reduced ,

became uneasy,and what was to be done as a last

resource was concernedly discussed . Some advisedsurrender as the only humane course open

, but

Gansevoort refused to entertain the thought for amoment

,and declared that i f the food gave out

,and

no rel ie f were in sight,he would h imsel f sal ly forth

at night and cut hi s way through the enemy’s camp .

In accordance with Arnold ’ s instruct ions to thesupposed spy, a few hours afterwards , St . Leger

’ sscouts

, as they stol e through the woods to reconnoitre

,heard mysteri ous rumors

,which had been

dil igently spread, Of Burgoyne ’s having been com

pletely defeated , and that a great American armywas coming up the val ley to the fort ’s rel ief . Theycarried back the i l l t id ings to the camp , and towardevening

,as the officers were grouped together in

anxious conference,Yan Y -ost

,who was kn own

throughout the val ley to have Tory sympathies ,rushed in

,accompanied by a pri est . Panting for

breath,he gasped out that they had barely escaped

with thei r l ives from a resistl ess Amer ican force,

which was close at hand , and showing his coat, whichhe had had riddled with bulle ts before leaving

Arnold’s camp

,said a companion had fallen .

How large i s thi s force asked St . Leger,tum

2 50 CROSSED SWORDS

ing wi th white,

’

set l ips to the pr iest of hi s own

mother Church,whose features the gathering twi

l ight obscured from his quest ioner .i

With nimble wit, and wi thout uttering a word ,the monk pointed significantly to the leaves O f thetrees that fluttered in multitudes above them

,and

solemnly shook his head as i f in warning, and inthe consternation which followed , stole away intothe forest paths and made hi s way back to Arnold

’ scamp .

The Indian, who had come by a circuitous route,

also appeared,and at once corroborated the story .

When the savages, who were holding a rel igious

feast to crave for the protection of the “ GreatManitou

,

” heard that the army of Burgoyne wascut to pieces , and another of three thousand menwas coming upon them ,

they prepared to fly,utter

ing their we i rd cry,Oonah ! Oonah !” It was in

vain that St . Leger tried to weaken the effect of themen ’ s words

,which spread rapidly through the

camp . He exhorted,entreated

,threatened

,and

sought to bribe the Indians ; but al ready disaffected ,they began to desert in scores

,those remaining pro

ceed ing to Open the camp- chests and get at the rum .

On the l iquor’s taking effect they began to assaultthe sold i ers

,some of whom

,j o ining with the rioters

,

caroused with them,and all night long the camp

was a perfect pandemonium of heatheni sh debauchery, which it was impossibl e to control .The next day St . Leger, in despair, took fl ight

,

rushing for safety to the Canadas,and the whole

army,becoming d isheartened

,dispersed

,the remain

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2 58 CROSSED SWORDS

ward,in three d istinct columns; the l ight home

on the right,under Malcolm Fraser, then Bri gadier

General,and the left , near the river , under Baron

Von Riedesel . The centre was to be commandedby Genera l Burgoyne himsel f, who ,

with thegrenad iers and infantry

,strongly flank ed with In

dians,should

,on Fraser’s making a ci rcuitous march

through the woods,j o in him

,that together they

might fall upon the rear of the American army . I twas arranged that three m inute guns should be firedwhen the j unction of the forces was thus made

,as

a signal for the arti l lery to make an attack on theAmerican front and scatter them in confusion ; forBurgoyne swore i t Should never be told in Englandthat he was “ bested by a parcel o f raw countrybumpkins . ”

At an early hour on September nineteenth theAmerican pickets observed an unusual activity inthe enemy ’ s camp . There was a gl itter o f bayonetsand sabres

,and a flash ing of scarlet and gold uni

forms in the morning sunl ight, as through vistas in

the forest the troops were seen to go through theirevolutions of marching

,countermarching

,and form

ing the various l ines o f battl e as had been arranged .

Arnold , becoming aware O f the meaning of themanoeuvres

,detached Morgan from his div i s ion to

charge the Brit ish and Indians,he himself resolving

to turn the enemy’s right and cut off Fraser fromj oining the main army ; S O dense were the woodsand so broken the face of the country , that neitherreal ized thei r contiguity unt i l suddenly they metface to face

, when Arnold , with the fury of a junglel ion leaping on its prey

,fel l upon his foes

,disputing

DO OR DIE ? 2 59

the groun d inch by inch,unti l th ey were forced to

entrench themselves in a sheltering p i ne forest .

Burgoyne, on the arrival o f R iedesel

’

s infantry,val iant soldier that he was

,with true Briti sh sp iri t

and pluck disdained to fight un der cover , andordered the woods cleared ; and soon, at the pointof the bayonet, with flashing of steel , column aftercolumn

,fighting fiercely

,dashed upon the enemy’ s

l ines .Phyll i s

,with the Baroness and her household ,

who had followed the troops on the march, foundrefuge in a house hard by . With that fascinationwhich the horribl e possesses

,they tremulously

l i stened to the noi se of the struggle through theclash and clamor of hours .When they knew that the Baron

,at the head of

his men,was in the thick of the fight

,the wi fe ’s

courage gave way,her brave heart quai led

,and the

strong woman , weeping, leaned her head on theshoulder of the frai l girl . Phyll i s

,with tender

words Of hope and comfort, bade her bear up forthe sake of the frightened l ittl e ones

,who were

hiding their pale faces in her a rms,and with their

small fingers trying to shut out the sight and hearing of the awful struggle .

With night came the t ramp of returning men,

and the heavy rumble of cann on,and the two

armies lay down on the ground, S O near that the

sound of thei r drum - beats and shouts could beplainly heard in e ither camp .

Day after day they lay watching each other.The Brit i sh sent out spies to ascertain the strengthof the Continentals

,which

,however

,the density of

2 60 CROSSED'

SWORDS

the woods rendered it impossible to ascerta in . Allattempts to discover i f there were any indicat ionsof help coming from the south were l ikewise futi le .At last a messenger made his way in with a commun ication from S ir Henry Clinton , stating hisimmediate intent ion of attacking Fort Montgomery and other fort ified po ints .

'

The tid ingswere hail ed with del ight, and an answer was sent,enclosed in a si lver bullet

, w hich Opened w ith asmal l spring

,urging S i r Henry to advance . With

stringent orders for extreme caution and circumspection in passing the hosti le terri tory, the messenger d epart ed . The immi nent danger of the mission and its urgency seemed to inter fere with theman ’s discret ion

, for when in the dusk he encountered a body of troops near Fort Mon tgomery, andheard them mention the name of Cl inton

,he threw

aside al l precaution,and asked to be conducted to

the presence of Sir Henry . Led into the fort ,alack ! he discovered his error too late, as theGeneral Cl inton he confronted was not S ir Henry,but

,by an unfortunate coincidence Of names

,the

Ameri can commander of the post .Indiscreet

, but brave, he refused to give up hisd espatch

,and when the silver bullet was about to

be seized,he hast i ly placed it in hi s mouth and

swal lowed i t . A liberal dosing o f tartar emeticsoon effected what the commands of his enemiescould not compass

,and the bullet being recovered ,

the compromising contents of the missil e fel l into thehands of his j udges . There was a short trial forsuch an offence . The poor fel low was sentenced tobe hanged as a spy

,and on October eighth

,when

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2 62 CROSSED SWORDS

impertinence and unwarrantable assurance of thoseragged rebels over seas . The pleasure bargeawaited—his elegant si lk and lace toilet had to bemade—the matter could wa it—he could not tar ry,forsooth

,to S ign the paper, but hurriedly thrust i t

into a receptacl e in his desk,unti l a more convenient

season,where

,whether from the wining or the

dining,i t lay forgotten unti l too late to save the

cause of h is king and alter the fate of two nations .Thus was changed the history of the world , for onsuch small happenings do momentous events andstupendous issues sometimes seem to hang.

S O on the field it was either fight or fly—and onOctober seventh fifteen hundred men

,made up from

al l the regiments,with eight brass cannon and two

howitzers,and led by the four generals

,advanced

to a clear ing about two miles from the Americanr ight flank—General Fraser moving by an indirectroute to cover the by- paths by which smal l foragingparties were seeking means of rel i ef for thei r pressing and imperative wants . In the cool o f the mom '

ing,as he passed a wood ed hollow beneath a hi l l ,

which was crowned by a redoubt,he sa id to a

clansman near him :

“Yon bonnie glen reminds me of the banks an’

braes of our native Highlands,

” and pausing amoment as he looked at it

,he continued

I f Malcolm Fraser fal ls to- day,bury me here .

W ith in an hour the confl ict began , fast and furiouson both s ides

,the Americans rushing up to the very

mouth Of the cannon and struggl ing wildly for thei rpossession . Five times were they taken and as manytimes lost , for both sides were brave, valorous and

Do OR D IE ? 2 63

ski l ful . Morgan , with his corps , dashed to the hi l lswhere he saw Fraser

’ s flank ing party,and opened

on them a fire so destruct ive,and bullets so um

erringly aimed,that they were forced to fal l back .

Then,with appal l ing force and irnpetuosity , he

wheeled and fel l on the Brit i sh right flank, so thatthey broke and fled

,but soon ral lying, returned to

action .

Arnold, who thus far had only watched the trend

of the battle,l eaping on his large . brown horse,

spurred the animal full gallop for the thick Of thefight

,the men greet ing him with frant ic cheer ing

as he placed himsel f at their head .

Dashing at the Brit i sh centre,which unti l then

had stood unbroken,and mad with the frenzy of

battle,he rushed a long the l ine

,brand i shing his

sword above his head . At his first assaul t theHessians stood firm

,but on his second furious

charge,they broke and fled in di smay

,and then the

battle became general along the whole l ine,with

Arnold and Morgan the rul ing spiri ts among theAmeri cans

,and Fraser the directing soul Of the

Briti sh . Mounted upon a splendid i ron - greyhorse, and dressed in the ful l uni form of a fieldofficer, the latter was conspicuous for hi s appearance

,and the way in which he rall ied the troops by

word and example .Morgan soon perceived that the fate Of the day

depended upon the gallant Scot , and in an instanthi s purpose was formed . Call ing a fil e of h i s bestshots around him

,he pointed with hi s gun to the

man on the great grey horse,and said

That gallant Officer i s General Fraser . I admire

2 64 CROSSED SWORDS

and honor him, but it i s necessary he should die .Vi ctory for the enemy depends upon him . Takeyour station i n that clump of trees , and do yourduty .

”

Those men could shoot to a hair- breadth . EachOf their bullets meant one Briti sh sold ier less ; sorid ing along

,although at long range, a bal l hit the

crupper Of General Fraser ’s horse,and another

passed through the animal ’ s mane,just behind the

ears . Noticing it, the Officer who rode by his s idesaid with concern for his safety

“ It i s evident that you are marked out, General ,for special aim . Would it not be prudent to reti reto a less exposed place ?

”

My duty,Major

,forbids me to fly from danger,

he rep l i ed,grasping his broadsword . Scarcely had

the words passed his l ips,when he fel l mortally

wounded,his foot caught in hi s stirrup . He was

carried off the field by two grenadiers ; and whenthe news of hi s fal l spread through the Brit ish l ines ,and also of the arr ival of three thousand Amer icantroops

,a general rout ensued . Genera l Burgoyn e,

taking command in pe rson, endeavored to Spur thesinking courage of h is men

,but all in vain . They

fled precip itately to the ir entrenchments,fol lowed

by a furi ous shower of grape and musket bal l s,Arnold ’ s voice in trumpet tones urging his followerson in the flame and smoke of the savage pursuit .Burgoyne tried with despai ring valor to once.more

make a rally, but although Brit i sh courage anddiscipl ine had so O ften wrought marvels Of prowess ,and accompl i shed almost superhuman achi ev ements ,there are some things which even they cannot do,

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CHAPTER X V .

A MOURNFUL D INNE R PAR TY.

THAT morning, when breakfasting, the Baroness ,whose alarm was ever on the alert

,had fanci ed she

saw a hurried and preoccupied air on the part ofher husband

,which she fain would have accounted

for . Being assured that he was merely contemmating a reconnoissance, the high - sounding word hadso al layed her fears that she had promised to prov idea d inner as elaborate as thei r slender resourcesallowed for hi s Officers on their return . In theafternoon

,when the table was set with its common

and meagre appo intments , and Phyl l i s was returningfrom a short walk to place some wild grasses uponit,being all the October fields could furnish

, she saw

a band of Indians in war- dress hurrying by . Thei rexci ted looks and gestures told her that they w erehastening to take part in action somewhere .Scarcely had she reached the door of the cab in, andtold her fears -to the Baroness, when they heard thesound of skirmishing, and knew that somewhere abattle was raging . In a S i ckening suspense thehours dragged slowly on unti l the one in whichthey had expected their guests to arrive . Lookingfor the hundredth t ime toward the di stance

,where

tra i l ing smoke and the dul l roar of ordnance toldtheir accustomed ears that an engagement was inprogress

,they saw the first guest brought to their

2 66

A MOURNFUL DINNER PARTY 2 67

door . It was poor Fraser on a stretcher, coveredwith blood

,and borne by hi s grenadi ers . Hasti ly

the di shes were removed from the table, and he waslaid moaning feebly upon the “board by which hehad thought merri ly to sup. The noise of thebattle growing louder and nearer each momen t , thechildren

,cl inging to Phyll i s ’s sk i rts , cowering and

trembl ing,were too much terrified even to cry .

At last,night coming on

,sleep merci ful ly soothed

them ,and they were laid on l ittle beds made for

them in the passage—way, that they might not disturbor witness the last agonized moments of the brave ,dying soldier . Fo l lowing the ir small forms as theyleft hi s sight

,he looked after them wistfully . Call

ing the surgeon to his s ide, and looking stead i ly intohi s eyes

,he asked “ Must I die ?”—and as the

answer came in a si lent bowing of the head , heturned his face away

,sighing weari ly

,Oh

,miser

able ambition ! Poor M istress Fraser ! My fatherless bairnsHe l ingered unti l midnight ; at the last rambl ingin his talk

,thinking at times he was a boy again

playing among the heather and br'acken of hisScotti sh hi lls

,or wand ering with the lass he loved

by its lochs and tarns ; and anon he was in the madrush of battle , cheering on his men . Just be fore theturn of the night he rall i ed somewhat

,and signed

for Phyl l i s, who had never l eft his S ide for a

moment, to draw near . With face well - nigh aswhite as the sinking man ’s

,she bent Over him to take

h i s last words , to be sent to his wife and hisbonnie wee bai rn ies.

” It was soon over,and

tenderly, as i f they were wreathed l i l i es , she placed

2 68 CROSSED SWORDS

bes ide him the so ft grasses o f the meadow, and thecrimson leaves Of the maple .As the sun set the next day ,

'

in the calm of theOctober evening, the bearers carried him out, to layh im on the braes ide Overlooking the quiet glen bywhi ch he had ridden the day before . A S thecortege moved up to the redoubt , the eyes of botha rmies followed . The Americans , seeing the party ,

but unaware of their purpos e , at once open ed fire ,but through it al l the chaplain read on unmoved .

The soi l raised by the cannon - ball s ra ined upon hisuncovered head unheeded

,as over the group

,with

bowed face,he uttered the words : “I am the resur

rection and the l i fe — hi s voice almost drowned inthe roar of the guns .

The shades of n ight fel l s ombrely around them l ikea pal !

,and the watching stars came out l ike funeral

tapers o’

er a bier .Suddenly the firing ceased

,and the solemn boom

of a single gun roll ed at intervals through theval ley, and awak ened the echoes of the hil ls . Itwas the minute- gun of the enemy, firing a salute forthe gallant dead !When it had become known that the S i lent group

was a burial - guard,the enemy’s cannon were at once

si lenced,save for the rendering of homage to the

brave, as the fearless l eader of the Light Horsetroop was left to sleep with h is martial cloakaround h im . There was l ittl e t ime for mourning ,

and at ten O ’clock the same night the British army,fall ing back , took up its way northward , and lessthan forty- eight hours afterw ard s was again underfire from the Americans . Word was at once sent

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2 70 CROSSED SWORDS

darkness,they huddled together, wi thout l ight or

beds,the poor l ittl e girl s laying their heads in the

laps of thei r mother and the Fraule in Phyll is, asthey had grown to call her .A s night came on the wounded were brought in,and Phyll i s

,forgetting her own misery

,tried to

lessen the greater agony of those around her .The second night Of horror approached

,and

thi rst began to add its terrors to the miseries of theunfortunates

,cooped together in what was fast

becoming a pest- house . Some O f the woun ded criedpiteously for water, the smal l quantity of Rhenishwine having long S in ce been given them . Whenthe morning again broke

,a soldi er Offered to go and

try to fil l a bo ttl e at the river . He went out ; theminutes passed slowly

,they lengthened , and no

sound Of return ing feet came to the strained l i steners . Another volunteered

,the cl i ck Of a gun was

heard , and he, too,was seen no more, and stil l

the fever - parched l ips cri ed for Water,water

,i f

only but a dropA third sold ier

,ghastly with a festering wound ,

was ri sing slowly and tottering from his bed of strawto fol low h is comrades ; for better, he thought , wouldbe the swift, sure death from an enemy

’s bal l , thanthose slow tortures o f Tantalus .Phyll i s, who was at hi s side in a moment , laid her

hand upon him to restrain him,saying :

Give me the vessel,I will go ; they wil l not fire

upon a woman,” and with the children sobbing and

trying to detain her,she Opened the low door and

passed out .It seemed as i f each could hear the other’ s heart

A MOURNFUL DINNER PARTY 2 7 1

beats, so st il l and harrowing were the passingmoments . One poor fel low broke down and mingledhis tears with those of the crying children . Whenunable longer to bear the s i l ence, l ittl e Freda threwhersel f upon the cold

,hard floor p iti fully wail ing :

Our Fraulein i s shot too !” but a quick step washeard at last

,the door flew Open , and with eyes Shin

ing,and with cool

,pure water ove rflowing the cruse

she carried,Phyll i s stepped over the threshold .

Again and again she l eft the darksome hovel , andwen t out into the sun - flooded plain , her fear of mindbe ing forgotten in the joy of cool ing the dry l ips ,and bathing the burning brows and open

,aching

wounds . Another day and night thus passed , andthe suspense as to the fate of the army seemedalmost harder to be borne than the suffering of

hunger and mortal pain .

An ensign , but sl ightly wounded , assured Phyll isthat even i f the Brit i sh bugles sounded the retreatand i t came to the worst

,they would not be deserted ,

for, disabled as they were , he and hi s fellow officers

would take the ladi es and chi ldren and try to escapewith them .

At length , with per i l thi ckening around hisdoomed army

,General Burgoyne called together a

counci l Of hi s officers and staff,and on the morning

of the thirteenth they assem bled in a tent for conference . With musket ball s flying overhead

,grape

shot striking the ground around the canvas , and acannon - bal l almost sweeping across the table aroundwhich they were del iberat ing

,they were warned

that thei r counci l must needs be brie f ; and on theEnglish general was forced the unwelcome convie

272 CROSSED SWORDS

tion that those rebel Homespuns were in no wisethe despicable rabble he had deemed them to be.Afire with anger and chagri n

,those del ibe rating

hurriedly determined that steps must be taken atonce to open a treaty with the commander Of theAmerican army .

Accordingly,towar d evening, a flag was sent to

General Gates,with a note intimating that General

Burgoyne was desi rous of sending a field—Officer tohim upon a matter Of great moment to both armies ,and wish ing to know at what hour on the nextmorning it would suit General Gates to receive him .

The reply came promptly : At ten O ’clock at thead v anced pos t O f the a rmy of the United States .Then the army of redcoats

,dusty

,di shevelled ,

thirsty,hungry and weary from their marches , thei r

fights and reverses, sat down on the crest of the hi ll ,

under the ski es dim with rain,and knew that the

gallant Engl ish blood,which made a long, crimson

track beh ind them,had been shed for naught but

heartbreak ing defeat ! The grime Of battl e on manya brave cheek was chan neled white w i th the brine oftears

,as forgett ing their own m i serya nd despair in

the love O f King and country, they thought , nonedaring to ask the other, What wil l they say in England ? when the dire news reached the royal andducal palaces and the lowly cots among her dalesfrom which they had marched so bl ithely .

The result Of the convention,as i t was pol itely

styled , was : That the Brit ish troops march out Oftheir camp with al l the honors of war

,their arti l lery

to be moved to the bank of the Hudson and therele ft

,together with the soldiers’ arms , said arms to

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2 74 CROSSED SWORDS

tween them the Brit i sh marched , escorted by a company Of l ight dragoons , preceded by two officersbearing the American colors . They stepped to thenotes of a spir ited new tune called YankeeDoodle ,

” composed by a Briti sh sergeant at Bostontown

,to ri dicule the raw army when it was en

camped under Washington at Cambridge .The two commanders gazed in s il ence as the

brigades fil ed past . Without a word , Burgoynestepped back, and , drawing his sword , in the pr esence of the two armies presented i t to his conqueror,who,

receiving it w i th a grave incl ination of thehead

,immediately returned it .

Active hosti l it i es being thus at an end,Baron Von

Riedesel requested that hi s wife and fam i ly bereleased and uni ted to him once more . An orderlywas sent to carry the message

,and they were soon

again seated in the carriage in which they hadescaped .

Not knowing the temper of the victorious troops ,nor the terms entered into by the two armies , thewomen felt some fear in meeting those whose gunswere so recently pointed against them ; but d iscerning no appearance Of resentment

,they began to be

somewhat reassured . On arr iving at the tents ahandsome Officer

,with a look of deepest commisera

tion,l i fted out the Baroness ’ ch ildren in hi s arms

and held them,kissing them affectionately . Only

the thought of how the sight Of her emotion wouldaffect her sold ier - husband

,enabled the mother to

keep back her tears, as General Schuyl er, austerewith men but ten der with women ,

sa id chivalrously

D O not tremble, do not be afraid . Your sorrows

A MOURNFUL DINNER PARTY 2 75

are now at an end , and added , turning to Phyll i s ,As it may embarrass th i s youn g lady to dine withso many gentl em en

,I pray that ye come to my home

and partake of a frugal - d inner,which we will there

serve you with a free wil l .”

Surprised at the gentle courtesy from one Of thosewhom She had thought to be but an und erbred parcel o f rebels

,the grateful mother said , with a

tremble in her voice :“Ah si r

, you yoursel f must be a husband andfather !A kind Heaven has vouchsafed me that unmer

ited though va lued pr ivi l ege , madam , of which Iwould be utterly unworthy did I not feel keen sym

pathy for your calamity . General Burgoyne has consented to do me the honor O f soj ourning under myroof ; I t rust I can prevail upon your family andguest to do' l ikewise .Accepting with gratitude

,Phyll is and the rest of

the war - worn party arrived at the Schuyler mansion,

where the Baroness was received as cordially by thegeneral ’s w i fe as i f their husband s had nevercrossed swords . Although not many weeks be foreher palat ial home

,with its orchards and gardens .

had been put to the torch and made pit i ful havoc Ofby order of General Burgoyne

, no hint o f the naturalresentment , which the loss could not fai l to excite .was apparent in the reception she accorded to thoseby whom the ruin had been wrought . Though not

,

l ike the Baroness,Of noble bi rth

,Mistress Schuyler

was the granddaughter of the first patroon,the

lordly Kill ian Van Rensselaer,whose lands of

Rensselaerwyck had run ful l tw o score miles on

2 70 CROSSED SWORDS

either s ide of the r iver,and well nigh fifty miles

inl and . A certain gentleness and thri ft had comedown to her through generat ions Of calm - eyedDutch housewives

,who had gone the ir homely

roun d of duty where the windmi lls swung in thesalt wi nds blowing over the Netherland dykes . Herstate ly dwell ing had been one of the finest amongKnickerbocker homesteads

,built ent irely Of br ick

,

with steep hipped roof and heavy gables . The entrance hall with its wide double doors was of nobled imensions

,the walls and cornice being finely

carved in oak . Rows of grand chestnut treesshaded the ample grounds

,and its gardens had been

widely noted for thei r rare flowers and choice fruits .Since the destruction of her home

,she and her

family had found temporary Shelter in another,to

which she proffered welcome with the sam e Dutchdecorum and dignity as i f i t were to the stately dwelling O f her ancestors . She had already given to theplace a homel ike comfort and even elegance

,so that

the l ittle German Thekla,the youngest o f the

Baroness ’ chi ldren,being led into the principal room ,

and think ing it quite magnificent after her l i fe indeserted huts and log cabins , clapped her hands anddancing about in childi sh glee

,asked with del ight :

Is th i s the palace that we are to have in Americafor fighting for the Engl i sh king ?” Not icing a lookof confusion on the faces o f those around , she ranto her mother ’ s arms

,saying in a frightened voice :

“ Did not the king promise us a palace when at'

hi s castle in London town ? Before the embarrassed l isteners could reply, Mistress Schuyler patted

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CROSSED SWORDS

ness,with the memory of his previous avoi dance of

he r and his vengeful pursuit by Raoul S t. Leger,broke down the barri ers o f her sel f- restra int

,and

burying her face in her hands,the girl

,proud and

sensitive,hurried from the room . As in moments Of

extreme excitement the almost forgotten tongue ofch i ldhood comes most readily to the l ips , EdwardVanrosfeldt turned , and in the German which hehad heard at his mother ’s knee

,said

Tell me,Baroness

,of the Fraulein - Davenant

,

and how came she hither ?”

In gentle words she told him what she had learnedof Phyll i s ’s l i fe in the months S ince they had met.

He hearkened with a chivalrous and tender p ity tothe tale of her sorrows and of her fl ight from Quebec—hi s hand clenching at the recounting of herforcible detention there by a comrade in arms

,

whose name , as wel l as hi s own ,he Obse rv ed she had

eviden tly refrained from mentioning ; but thememory of her desire to j o in Basi l Temple—racking

,long cherished doubts and some faint gl immer

ings of hope that the p ious nun,unwitting to her

sel f,might have been in error

,crowded confusedly

on h is brain . With clouded brow,the l ines of his

face tense and drawn,he hung on the woman ’s

words . At the reci tal of the betrothal in the cabinOf the I nv inci ble

,turning deadly pale, he seized t

narrator ’s arm, who,

startled,wonderingly begged

know the meaning of hi s perturbation . Lookingher imploringly

,he hoarsely cried :

“Say she i s not pledged to him ! In pity tel lit i s fal se !”

A MOURNFUL DINNER PARTY 2 79

Alas ! ’t i s but too true ; but, oh , si r, i f in any way

you have the power to now be friend the poor , for

lorn chi ld,I pray that ye do so , as it i s no longer

possible for me to protect her,for as prisoners of

war we must soon take up march to Boston .

”

In what way can I do her service ?”

Procure her safe escort to Philadelphia, wherethere are relat ives Of this man

, who will , when thetimes al low ,

doubtl ess become her husband , and towhose care he has commended her ; and thus saveher from this rough fol lowing of a soldiers ’ camp,which i l l befits one of her gentle breeding and

delicacy .

“ Madam, be assured these desires shall be at

once carri ed out . TO—morrow I leave on the business for which I am now seek ing instructions fromGeneral Schuyler. I shall be the bearer Ofdespatches touching thi s surrender to General Washington ,

and will charge mysel f with her safe conductto th is man’s kinsfolk

,i f it meet with her wishes . ”

For a moment he stood in deep thought,the color

of h i s face turned to deathly pal lor,and speak ing

slowly and with difficulty,he sa id :

“Frau Von R eidesel

,pardon me if I seem dull

witted , but this betrothal on board a warship intime of action , must there not be some error here ?

Perchance the sweet maid ’s innocence and fri endlessness have been imposed upon , and she may not bebound will ingly to th is man .

”

Alack ! I would it were so,but no

,i f I under

stood aright , she hersel f consented in the presenceof a pri est of the Church Of Rome

,who sanct ioned

2 80 CROSSED SWORDS

her promise to become his wi fe . He was one BrotherJerome, whom she had known in her childhood asLeon de L ér ie

,her playfellow .

“Brother Jerome ! Did she say Brother Jerome ?

He it was who, after the burning of Crown Point,attached himsel f to our troops and ever seemed tobe where least expected . I mysel f had susp icion of

his honesty,for a man , be he priest or soldier, who

i s a traitor to his own cause and people , deservesnot the trust Of any other . Although I ever soughtto avoid him ,

he with pers istence seemed to seekmy presence . Why

,I know not ; but of his veri ty

or falsenes s my mouth was sealed ; for, from a certain look he bore

,i f I mistake not

,he is the Brother

Jerome of whom I heard from his s ister, the sweetsa int in the convent at Quebec

, who nursed me, whenwounded sore in body and spiri t

,back to l i fe again .

”

A sudden light of understand ing flashed acrosshi s l istener’s face

,as she whispered :

“Have a care ! You had best be on your guard ,for I have heard that, which I know now cannot betrue

,through some misapprehension

,the mys

ter ious disappearance of this same‘

S ister Theresei s laid at your door and there are those who wouldavenge her and cal l you to account .

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2 82 CROS SE D SWORDS

garments , the more foppish among them fairlyswept the ground with thei r mod ish

,smartly - laced

ha ts in salute to the ladi es of their acquaintance ;not forgetting to glance occasional ly w ith satisfac

tion at what they deemed the irresi stible charms ofthei r own reflections in the shop windows .Dash ing gallants who sought a name for raki sh

ness , stood on the street corners staring audaciouslyat every pretty woman passing by ; or when themood seized them ,

rudely j ostl ing staid Quakerfolk , whose decorous ears they shocked with the loudoath or broad j est , which with coxcombs passed forwit .On the footpath s, s imper ing macaronies with

arms l inked minced their steps as they saunteredaffected ly along

,attending fair damsel s returning

from piquet or afternoon tea and gossip ; or with alanguishing smirk and heels together i n st iff- backedbows , handing them to thei r sedan chairs .The Quaker town

,in contrast to i ts a rt ificial

phases of social l i fe,was renowned far and near for

the beauty of it s garden s,in which the women took

especial pri de . Many tended them Wi th thei r ownhands ; sowing, planting, gathering rose leaves forthe sti l l

,herbs for savoring and tinctures , and fruit

of d ifferent k inds to be made into syrups and cord ial s

,dri ed

, or otherwise prepared for winter use .The early settl er s

,coming from flowery England ,

had made i t one of their first cares in the new landto have a garden . In tender memory of i t , they hadreared from seed and cutt ing the homely flowersthey had loved by its hedgerows and doorsteps ;and soon the brier and dog- rose of England had

A GALLANT SIGHT 2 83

l i fted famil iar faces to cheer thei r homesick , exiledhearts . Under American skies, lavender, Spear?

mint,sage and thyme

,which had been pungent

sweet along old Engli sh garden - paths,mingled i n

Colonial flower - beds with the fox - glove,Can-ter

bury bell s, marigold , bachelors’ buttons, hea rts

ease ! of al l flowers the sweetest named ! and lovel ies - bleeding

,with thei r famil iar cottage names and

smells .The homes Of Philadelphia

,which they sur

rounded,with their ample hall s and beauti ful wind

ing stai rcases of the Georgian period , were notablefor the magn ificence of thei r style o f entertaining,and e specially for the stately splendor Of their dinner - parties

,over which the high colonial dames pre

sided with their d ign ified,well - bred courtesy and

native grace .Phyll is, arriving duly in the city, under the care

ful conduct and formal guidance Of Maj or Vanrosfeldt, was kindly and hospitably welcomed to one ofthe most substantial and well - built houses in thetown , the home of General Henry Knox , who wasabsent on the field

,in the staff Of General Wash

ington . Mistress Lucy Knox,being aunt to Anne

Temple,had in charge her lovely niece

,whose

vivacity,and at times wil fulness

,gave her much

ado to manage and guide di screetly . With repute asa beauty and well - dowered bel le

,the pretty maid was

much sought after,and her aunt accounted hersel f

fortunate that she had found for her, in Phyll i s ,a companion both gentle and retiring.

Scarcely, however , had the doors o f her newhome closed upon thei r guest, when a fee l ing of deep

2 84 CROS SED SWORDS

gloom settl ed down upon its inmates, in commonwith the other patriots in the town ; for, to the soundOf Briti sh fifes and d rums , thei r enemy marched inand gaily took possession of the city .

Looking through the drawn curtains,with eyes

dim with tears,Phyll i s saw the gorgeous cavalcade

advancing in all the pomp and bri l l iance to which asa Brit ish sold ier ’s daughter she was famili ar . Theywere her countrymen— in that cause her sworn protector served ; for it her father had fought , and ini t d ied— but the man she loved wore the blue andbuff ; and , as perforce we must honor where welove

,incl inat ion and duty fought a hard battle in

the heart of the young girl . With the s ilent, tearful group of women she looked quietly on ; the confl i et i n her heart seeming to her louder than thenoise of the street

,where the rumble of heavy

cannon,cheers of men and trampl ing of feet mingled

with the clamor Of the band playing j ubilantly theBrit i sh Grenadiers . Her pulses kept time withthe fami l iar ai r as she thought of how many a timeshe had seen her father marching to i t at the headof hi s men . She loved the gal lant red coat of theBritish . She gloried in their common count ry , itsannals O f great deeds and peerless record of imperialism and conquest . She remembered its magn ifi

cent charges on the field ; its warr iors who hadcrossed swords with Roman

,Frank , Saracen, Dane

and Saxon ; i ts val iant sold ier ak ings, Alfred andRichard of the Lion Heart ; its Edwards , Hen rys andWill iams ; and she could not conceive that therecould be aught but ult imate victory for i t st il l .Looking at the ranks approaching, she proudly knew

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2 86 CROSSED . SWORDS

and gold,and think ing Of the blue and buff her

Henry wore,with a toss Of her head and curl ing

l ip,she said scornfully : He would disdain to be

tricked out in such gaudy frippery as thi s —thePuritan strain in her assert ing i tsel f even in herpatri ot ism .

As in the case,which Phyll i s well remembered ,

of the Colonials b ill eting themselves upon the inhabitants of Montreal , SO the Brit ish troops proceeded to quarter themselves for the wi nter, whichshort ly would set in , i t be ing then al ready November . Publ ic bui ldings and the private houses of theWhig gent ry were confiscated without ceremony orapology to their owners , many of them , with prudentfores ight

,having previously had their S i lver plate

and valuables buri ed .

General Howe,for the headquarters of h i s bril

l iant staff,selected one of the finest houses in the

ci ty,and being given to easy l iving and fond of

comfort, appropriated a priv ate coach and pai r forh is personal use ; his brother , Lord Howe , Admiralof the Navy

,retaining a banking house on Chestnut

Street above Spruce .With the unfurl ing of the Briti sh colors over

Philadelphia,the maj ority of the Patriot sym path

izers resolved to leave the town,but what was known

as the fashionable set adhered to the crown,and

gave cord ial welcome to Howe and hi s redcoated

officers,in the stately receptions which the women

knew so well how to conduct , and to the suppersand gaming tables o f the men .

These, with the play- houses , dancing. dicing andcock - pi t s for the l ivel i er sp irits , made the winter

A GALLANT SIGHT 2 87

a gay and fest ive one ; the Old Penn house in whichHowe res ided being the centre of the social l i fe ofthe

'

town .

One of the principal loyal ci tizens, and a red—hotTory

,was Master Edward Shippen

,a gentleman of

rank,character and fortune . He was the father Of

a bevy of pretty daughters ; Peggy, the youngest andflower of the flock, for her beauty and sprightl iness ,queening it as a bel le of the town ; her upl i fted ,haughty

,l i ttl e head and look of high breeding g i v

ing her a certa in regal a ir and deportment . Shewould not be refused when she desired that Phyll i s ,being Engli sh—born

,should accompany Anne Temple

in her visits to the Sh ippen mansion , which keptopen house for the B r i t i sh sold iers o f rank in thearmy . A favorite guest among them w as a certaindashing and popular Maj or John André , who , besides being a n effici ent Officer

,possessed so many

gentle graces of demeanor,charms of person and

natural gi fts o f mind,that he was soon an intimate

friend of the family,and welcome in every fash ion

able Tory drawing- room . He had been sent aprisoner from Canada to Phi ladelphia by Montgomery

,after the reduct ion of Fort St . Johns , and

on the arrival of the Brit i sh troops in the city hadestabl ished himsel f in a reti red and beauti ful mansionin a quiet court in rear Of High Street . Being of anart istic and poetic temperament

,he found the mod est

elegance of the home Of the philosopher, Benj aminFranklin , well su ited to hi s turn of mind . OnAndré’ s making choice o f i t

,the Sage’ s daughter

discreetly wi thdrew . She was made we lcome bythe hospitable Shippen household , who had known

2 88 CROSSED SWORDS

Sally Frankl in since her bi rth,unti l the times should

permit her again occupying her father ’s house,he

being absent on diplomatic business i n France . Wordhad come to the colonies that he

,the Puritan son of

the New England candle - maker,bo rn in

3

an obscurecottage in a green lane in Boston

,had become the

idol of the gay,giddy, French cap ital .

’Twas saidthat court artists were kept busy decorating the fansof noble lad ies and the snuff boxes of court i ers withhi s portra i t . That coats and neckcloths d la Franklin had become the fashionable rage , a momentaryfancy for S impl icity having suddenly swept overbri ll iant Paris . These reports had confirmation ina letter received by the sprightly Sal ly from herfather

,and which she read with much merriment to

Peggy, when she, with her friends and cousins, mettogether for morning gossip under the pretence ofdoing tambour- work .

Read it,Sally dear !” Peggy had pleaded ;

doubtless your father ’s wise words would be to ourbenefit and instruct ion as well as your own .

”

“As ye will,

” answered Mistress Sal ly, andnothing loth , she unfolded the pages and read :

Dear Sal ly,

‘ Figure to yoursel f an Old man , very plainlydressed

,with thi n

,grey hair

,very straight and long,

and wearing horn - bowed spectacles,here among

the powdered heads of Paris . The clay medall ionof me was the first O f the k ind made in France . Avar ietv Of others have since been manufactured ofdifferent sizes ; some to be set in snuff boxes andsome so smal l as to be worn in rings . These, with

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2 9 0 CROSSED SWORDS

I trust,said Mistress Peggy demurely, as a

l ittle murmur Of laughter went round the room ,

that good Master Frankl in may not hear the priceI paid for my new pink Calamanco shoes . ’ Thenglancing at hersel f in a mirror oppos ite , she pouted ,and looking around for sympathy, continued

’

T is scarce to be expe cted that we , who makesome pretence to fashion and gentil ity, shouldappear in l inen kerch iefs and wear the close—fitting ,

kiss - defying poke - bonnets one sees in the Friends’

meeting- house . I , for one, am glad that the Oldsumptuary laws of the early days in these coloniesare no l onger in force . In my grandmother’ s t imethey were forbid to wear thread lace, ruffs , or si lver

S i lke scarfs or tiffany hoods , which were dub‘ wicked apparel . ’ I hope that no whisperreached your father’ s ear

,Sally

,of the grand

ney the British Officers talk O f giving as soon aspring Opens , and for which Major Andréconsidering the decorati ons . I fear the writer‘ Poor Richard ’ s Sayings

,

’ which . hang overchimney- niche yonder

,would have somewhat to

in its d isfavor .“I would there were some means Of prevent

the carrying out of thi s proj ect , Peggy ,”

s

Phyl l i s , who sat by her s ide in sweet seriousness .“And where fore

,Phyll i s ?” queried Peggy ,

t ing her work drop in her lap,as she looked up

surpri se .

To me it i s scarcely seem ly at such a t imestri fe and uncertainty to thus make merry . Thou

A GALLANT SIGHT 2 9 1

British - born,I agree w ith w i se Master Frank l in, and

should this extravagant d iversion take place,I,for

one,wil l not give it countenance . Methink s soldiers

,

carrying swords , ought to be more intent on theiruse than the arti st ’s penci l , and on seri ous plans ofbattle than light tripping in the minuet !” was thefearless answer

,even though

,with the color deep

en ing in her cheeks , she saw that her words werenot heard with approval .Well

,Phyll i s

,I am far from agreeing with

you,

” repl i ed Mistress Peggy,her temper somewhat

ruffled . Nothing short of a West Indian hurricane, such as Betty Schuyler here has just been tel ling us her lover

,Alexander Hamilton

,hath often

witnessed when a boy , wil l hinder my tak ing partin it . You had best change your mind

,Phyll i s . ”

As frequently as duty and decorum permitted .

Major André left the lonely grandeur o f theFrankl in mansion for the gayer domestic atmos

phere of the Shippen homestead , where the romanticmaidens and thei r friends treated him with espec ialfriendliness . They were enamored

,not so much of

the man himsel f, as of the sentimental pathos Of anunhappy love affai r with a young English gi rl ,which had sent him to the army in America . Eventhere he could not wholly destroy the glamor ofthe hopeless attachment

,and the tender - hearted

Peggy’

s pretty eyes fil led with tears when,describing

his mis fortune at St . Johns,he turned to Phyll i s .

saying :“

I was stripped of everything save the picture ofmy love, one I had mysel f painted of her sweetface, and which hath a look something of your

2 02 CROSSED SWORDS

own,but I was lucky enough to be able to conceal

i t in my mouth , and having that I sti l l thoughtmysel f fortunate .Although the Patriots were compel led to endure

the investm ent of the town by the Brit ish , and everyWhig who had anywhere to go had left it, thosewho rem ained made the redcoats in some respectsnone too comfortable by having recourse to variousstratagems for their annoyance . Between theBriti sh drummer- boys and some of the youths of

the town continua l and pers istent hosti l i ty was maintained

,heads be ing broken in many a rough bout

and scrimmage . The occupation of the city, however

,was not altogether unbearable , from the fact

that i t was kn own to be Of no practical advantagein the campaign in furthering the cause of tBriti sh . Supported by thi s consol ing conviction , tpeople

,with what pati ence they could , l i

through the weeks of winter,unti l i t passed awa

before the soft breath of spring .

In northern woodlands the crocus again put fortits white buds

,and over the beauti ful sou

-thlanthere was the odor of magnoli asgroves ; the song of the mocking- bird in the dwood s o f Kentucky

, Vi rginia and the Carol imaking the air l iquid with melody .

The gay months in Phi ladelphia,with their bal

routs and plays,and the grim

,awful sufferings

Valley Forge were ended at last . The Brit ioffi cers had determined with the coming of sto féte General Howe , who was returning toland

,with the most splendid mil

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2 04 CROSSED SWORDS

fai rer,found them at the King’s Wharf, where the

company was assembl ing . The river flowed sunnyand gl ittering down from the wooded hill s ; faraway over meadows golden with buttercups

,white

clouds drifted l ike the great roun d sai ls of Netherland barges

,and in the di m thicket s the cuckoo

called,and mating wood - pigeons cooed thei r love

songs . On the water the r ichly furnished galleys,

with streaming ribands and bands of music , eachfloating the Bri ti sh flag

,were receiving the bril li ant

throng of ga ily—bedecked men and women .

There was a dainty l i fting of silken ski rts as theladies tripped the plank s

,and their safe embarking

made much hold ing of gloved and mittened handsseem pre—eminently needful

,as the sound Of the i r

del icate laughter and the deeper mirth of the menrippled upon the May—day air .When all was ready

,at a given signal , the whole

fleet lay upon their oars,while

,to the l i ft ing O f hats

cocked at the most fashionable angle,with a crash

of brazen harmony, the musicians struck upnotes Of God Save the King,

” the sound ting lunpleasantly in the ears of some present.

Mistress Lucy Knox, whose words werein the loud chorus from the shore

,her patriot

in arms,covertly whi spered to Anne, as they in t

stepped aboard :“A pretty piece of assurance that

,quotha ! - bu1

l et them sing and cheer thei r lustiest , for this maybe the last t ime tha t tune wi ll be heard w i thin thistown

,unless i t be put to the pra ise of l iberty, o :

at least to other words than these . YankeDoodle

,

’ as they call thi s new ditty whi ch has s<

A GALLANT SIGHT 2 05

caught the fancy of the people,I venture to predict

will be the next we will here l isten to.

”

As she spoke the cables w ere loosed and themagnificent fleet of sh ips , gal leys and barges , withflags and ribands gai ly streaming

, set sai l and gl idedonward .

At a late hour Of the night , with the qui et starsin the si l ent, solemn blue soothing their minds afterthe danc ing and junketing of the great fete

,Lucy

Knox and her young charge returned along theshadowy streets to their home, the famil iar scentsof dew - wet thyme and lavender

,rosemary and musk

blowing sweet and pure over the garden wal ls .Phyll i s

,at the bed - time hour

,had partly disrobed ,

and unlacing her bod ice and loosen ing her com b ,had lain down

,k eeping a single candle al ight for

their welcome . On thei r return,hearing the sound

of thei r sl ippers tapping on the stai rway,and rub

bing into wakefulness her soft eyes heavy withdrowsiness

,she begged to be told of all the wonder

fu'

l happenings of the day .

Anne Tem pl e, with the gauzes o f the gorgeousOriental costume she had worn somewhat dampenedby the night dews

,with sparkl ing eyes

,began

,

nothing loth, a running description , as she took off

the broad si lk sash and j ewel led turban Of whatMistress Knox had called a si lly and outlandi shgarb .

” Untying her Spangled sl ippers,she sa id

eagerly :“ Oh

,Phyll i s

,words of mine can scarce picture

the scene . The great arches,with their decorations

and mottoes , and the pavi l ions , with lines and

double l ines of Grenadiers and Light Horse,were

2 9 6 CROSSED SWORDS

monstrous fine . The ladies,with their knights and

attendant esquires in elegant trappings,the blue

uniform s of the navy ,the gold lace and scarlet of

the staff Officers and the chasseurs of Brunswick ,were gay beyond the tel l ing, not to speak of thedancing and toasting with beaker and bowl . Yeshould have heard the commiments to our grace andbeauty ; i t fairly turns my head to think upon ital l . Margaret Shippen made a lovely ‘Queen of

the Tourney ’ among the pretty show of loyal damesnone equalled her . ”

None looked better than yoursel f, Anne , in

terrupted her aunt ;“ albeit your dress , with its

Turkish trousers instead of decent pett icoats,was

somewhat scandalous,as were also the robes of the

si lly - named knights,who them selves wore the gowns

instead of the women, for whose favor they madepretence to fight in full career with lance andshi eld .

”

“ Hoopski rts and farthingales were not themode

,aunt

,in the days of ancient ch ivalry

,and

accord ing to it s usages,and as Maj or André said ,

were not befitt ing this tournament ,’ repl ied Anne

,

1 l ittle petti shly .

“ This John Andre'

,chi ld

,i s

,as I have Obse rved ,

a well - mannered,capable youth

,but he had best

curb h is doings somewhat , else i f he let them thusrun riot

,he may venture one day into something

he would fa in undo,

” was the om inous rej oinder .“ Well

,said Anne warmly

,

“ in thi s at least,aunt

,I think he was much to be prai sed , for I am

sure that the pretty French Queen in Pari s couldhave had no more beauti ful féte.

” Turning to

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2 9 8 CROSSED SWORDS

Phyll is , chi ld , you were wise to bide at home ;’ twere better

,too

,had I done l ikewise . A s Anne

has said,thi s redcoat bal l they call a ‘Mischianza

,

’

or some such heathen fool i shness,was more l ike a

night ’s revel in a houri ’s palace in the Orient than afeast in a colony founded by a s im ple , God - fearingQuak er. One could scarce bel i eve that the land i storn with str i fe, that war- clouds darken the skies ,and the Dove of Peace, with bleeding wings , hathnot where to res t the sole of its foot’ ! S tr ive as Iwould I could not make it a merry meal !Phyll i s sighing with her in s ilent sympathy

,she

continued :

Like a death’ s head at a feast,through al l the

revel ing an d prodigal ity, unbidden would ari sebefore my mind a camp hard by, where in nakedness and bitter want

,our great Chief, with my Henry

and their men,suffered throughout the bitter cold

of the long months of winter . As I looked aroundand saw the bej ewelled and si lver - buckled shoesl ightly beating time to the sound of l ively mus ic

,

methought I saw the snows of Vall ey Forge crimsonsta ined by the bare and lacerated ‘ feet Of theirsoldiers .

“As we sat at the gorgeous banquet, in a blaze ofred coats

,sashes and ribboned orders

,with even the

black servants doing trencher service in s ilkenraiment

,I thought o f the famine - pinched faces of

those who crouched around the fires through thelong night - watches , in ragged , threadbare bluecoats

,rather than l ie down in the huts bare of

covering from the win try blast . As they s ippedtheir wine and passed thei r toasts with j est and

A GALLANT SIGHT 2 9 9

laugh,methought I saw a sol i tary figure

,with

calm,saint - l ike face

,wrap a cloak around him

,and

cl imbing the hill s ide in lonely sol itude , call on theGod Of the down - trodden and Oppressed for helpand defence ; but mark me , child , Valley Forge willshine in hi story with the l ight of heroi sm

,when al l

the gl itter o f this tinsel show we saw to day wil l beforgot .Smoothing her p i l low and drawing her bed

curtains,Phyll i s soothed her

,saying :

Thank heaven the winter i s past in camp andtown . Strive to rest now in mind and body whil stI go and make ready a sleep ing cordial for you ,when you must seek to slumber

,for the night i s

already far spent .”

CHAPTER XVII .

CHAL L E NGE D .

A M ONTH later,the Brit i sh

,at last real iz ing that

the holding of the place was of no strategic value ,prepared to evacuate the ci ty, and forthwith theymarched out on June eighteenth

,and within twenty

four hours a fterward,Benedict Arnold

,not yet

recovered sufficiently to take the field,by authority

of Washington entered and took command . Thelast echo of the footsteps of General Howe’ s lackeyshad scarcely died away on the threshold of thePenn house

,when Arnold ’s servants arrived to mak e

ready for the state in which he there i ntended tol ive . The house

,built by Will iam Penn in the

year 1 700 ,was a s ingular

,Old - fash ioned struc

ture,la id out in the style o f a fort, with abundance

of angles and two w ings‘

projecting‘

out into thestreet , in the manner of bastions

,enclos ing a

spacious yard fil led with rows of lofty,vener able

pines . Arnold was sti l l young,being only thirty

six years o f age, and already covered with mil itaryglory . His manly bearing, unrivaled daring andalmost reckless bravery i n action

,with the romantic

interest o f hi s sti l l troublesome wound,invested his

person with uncommon attractiveness ; notw ith

standing which,Tory ladies thought it p r udent to

retire behind curtained windows and closed doors .

300

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302 CROSSED SWORDS

by the haird resser, who had been busy since dawnin carefully fashioning the coiffures of pads andcurls so much in vogue among ladies of fashion . Ablack maid, s impering in smil ing admiration of hertask of assisti ng in the dressing

,was giving the

fini shing touches of paint and powder, and deftlyplacing here and there l i ttl e black patches on theivory of chin or brow .

For some weeks previous Anne Temple had beenabsent from town

,soj ourning in the rural quiet o f

M istress Washington’ s seat at Mount Vernon, t ry

ing with her youthful gai ety to beguile somewhatthe tedium and lonel iness of its mistress in the fouryears ’ absence of its master, who in that t ime hadnot once crossed its threshold .

She had frequently made visits to the country - seaton the Potomac

,and from her ch i ldhood had been

famil ia r wi th the box—bordered paths of its quaintgardens, and the peacock s flaunting their green andgold finery by the weather- worn sun - dial on thegreen . On sunny mornings she had O ften fol lowedits mistress

, as she tended and gathered her flowers ,or gave d irections in the spinning and smoke - houses .Many a t ime had she stolen away from her task atthe harps ichord to run into the w ide kitchen to

watch the Spits turning before the hearth—fire, or

laugh at her pretty features reflected in the shiningbrass o f the warming- pan or copper ski inmers hanging by the dresser .It had been her unfail ing del ight to ride through

the Vi rgin ian woods in the early morning hours, onthe pi l l ion behind Master Washington

,when he set

out to oversee his plantations ; but in the dreary time

CHALLENGED 303

of war,with Spirit s dampened by the quiet yet busy

pull ing of l int and maki ng bandages , the dayslagged so wearily, and she found Mount Ve rnon soextremely dull

,that she gladly welcomed the one

Of her return to town . Even there,in the more

l ively home of Mistress Knox,with l ittl e enough of

gaiety, she found it somewhat mopish ; so, as she

dressed,her cheeks were aflame

,and her eyes

sparkled at the mad distraction of an evening’s frol icand dancing .

As She stood at her dressing- tabl e,with lavender

scented del icacies of raiment on bed and chai rs ,humming the burden of a new minuet , with thecandles shining upon her from either side

,she was

a winsome creature .Dowered with the sunny beauty of her Huguenot

ancestry,who had fled

'

their nat ive France at theterribl e knell which had rung from the church belfryof the old town of S t . Germain de l’Auxerrois, herpiquant features had an air of refined and gentlebreed ing. Upon her hai r

,which rose over a

cushion, she wore a satin and gauze head - dress

,

coquetti shly adorned with roses,and her pink satin

gown,spreading over a wide hoop

,made her waist,

with its pointed bodice,l ook the most d ainty the

heart of maiden could desi re . Below the flounceappeared two l ittle sl ippers , with red heels , thehighest the fashion would permit

, encas ing, in openwork silk stockings

,a pai r of arched feet

,said to be

the smal lest and most perfect owned by any bel le inthe colonies . On her bosom was folded a kerchief

of fi lmy Ital ian lace,which shaded without hiding

the graceful neck .

304 CROSSED SWORDS

Adjusting a bow of r iband , and shaking out herperfumed scarf of lace

,in her tender l ittle vanit ies ,

she contemplated her sparkl ing reflection with innocent gratification . The prospect Of a dance hadgone to her p retty head l ike wine , and layingdown her powder - shaker

,she suddenly turned , and

bowing with a low,sweep ing curtsy, sa id with a

gay laugh to Phyll i s,whose admiration shone in her

eyes“ Am I not fine—and to think that thi s i s the

first new gown I have had Since Lex ington ! Ourdear Mistress Washington would be aghast were Ito whi sper to her how many golden guineas i t hastaken to deck me for this rout

,but one cannot wear

l inen tuckers,fust ian or homespun to a ball . I am

sick to death o f sp inning- wheels forever whirl ing inthe chimney - corners and of brewing tea from ribwort

,sage and other herbs and s imples . Bestowing

high - sounding names on these decoctions to mymind in no way improves thei r flavor . ’Tis truethat some of our acquaintances praise them as beingmost excellent and d el icate to the taste but I am farfrom patriotic enough to rel i sh thi s , Liberty tea ’

made from the four - l eaved loosestri fe that growsby the roadside

,or ‘Hyperion tea ’ brewed from

raspberry or currant leaves from the garden. ”

I s the re not a v ow upon you in regard to this ?

asked Phyll is .Aye

,Of a truth I am under covenant , and at

Mistress Washington’ s tambour - secretary,S igned

my name in full,Anne Prudence Temple , with my

most clerkly flourishes,albeit with something Of a

pang . With her eyes upon me, an’ in my ears her

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300 CROSSED SWORDS

l ike a simple New England maiden,born in Puritan

Boston town .

With face suddenly breaking into a mischievoussmile and with a defiant toss of her powdered head ,Anne continued :

“An d to night we wil l sip whip - syllabub and

apple - toddy ; nibble to our heart ’ s content atcoriander comfits, seed cakes and Spiced gingernuts

,the men drink ing thei r sack - posset and arrack

punch from great steaming bowls ; and we willforget al l el se save the merry tapping of our heelsto the maddening, puls ing musi c of the bands .Running on in her gay prattl e

,she glanced at

Phyl l i s,whose heart was out of tune for such a

mood,and complained

“ I prithee look not so demure , as i f you were aprim Quaker maiden

,instead Of what I venture to

suspect,the betrothed of Captain Basi l Temple

,in

bal l att ire . These grey skirts,though of thi s lovely

Indian taffeta,seem more o f the Quakeress than

suits one of your blood and breeding,not to mention

what,i f I am not wrong in my conj ecture

,will be

your future rank as the wi fe of an Engl i sh knight ,who i s in the d i rect l ine of a peerage .”

Phyll i s,embarrassed how to reply to the sally,

sighedI care l ittl e for gauds or fangles now

,and am

not l ikely to wed,

”but not regarding her words

,

Anne sti l l ran on“ But despite thi s obstinacy in dressing in thi s

sombre t int and eschewing gay colors, you are none

the l ess rarely sweet to l ook upon , for ne’er was

maid more comely than my sweet cousin,for such

CHALLENGED 307

I hope ere long to claim you . In truth Basi l i s not

bl ind i f he hath chosen Mistress Phyll i s Davenantas the future lady of the old hal l in Kent .A smile at the kind rai l lery and the caressWhichaccompanied the words , struggled with a sigh thatPhyll i s could not but give , that at the wish of onecall ing hersel f her future kinswoman

,she had laid

aside her black dress and consented to accompanyher to the ball . Anne assured her that they wereunder debt o f gratitude to that fascinating ColonelArnold

,whose wi t

,romance and bravery were on

every tongue,who thus sought to provide a d iversion

for thei r minds from the continual dwell ing onbattles and bloodshed .

Come,l et us banish the thought of them

, she

sa id ; and p icking up her pett i coat between fingerand thumb

,the French in her blood tingl ing to the

tips of her l ittl e sl ippers , she caught Phyll i s roundthe waist and skimmed about the chamber

,saying :

Let uS see that we have not quite forgot thegl ide and langu i sh of the minuet, then lett ing her

go,she sank low i n the ci rcl e of her Skirts

,saying :

Now sink deep in the curtsy, from whichunti l we rise

,no gentleman may l i ft from his bow ;

then whirl ing around alone,her color coming

,as her

heart beat faster and faster,her red l ips parted

,she

exclaimed :I feel as i f I could dance on and on til l day

l ight breaks,and my heart i s as l ight as my heels . ”

Suddenly stopping, she bent towards Phyll i s andwhispered :

“ Tell me I too look fai r to—night,for I have set

my heart on captivating thi s friend of yours,thi s

308 CROSSED SWORDS

Major Van rosfeldt, whom I have met before , for hi shandsome blue eyes have caught my fancy . Hissteps are ravishing

,no other gentl eman can d ance a

minuet with grace l ike hi s,and none i s more sought

after in the drawing- rooms . ’Tis wel l you arealready as good as pledged , el se I might fear a rival .So tel l me truly that my looks please you .

”

Phyll i s,start l ed

,the patch - box She held fel l from

her hand,scattering the contents on the floor

,which

,

to cover her embarrassment, she stooped to gatherup and replace ere she could trust hersel f to speak .

Then,with a sharp pain clutching at her heart

,and

the color fading from her face, she answered softly :

In this land or those across the sea there i s nofitter frock

,nor one more pretti ly worn .

Li fting up her face to kiss her for the sweetwords

,Anne said hasti ly

,noting her sudden pal lor

“ But,cousin

,these cheeks of thine are too pale

for one of your fai r looks and years,and much too

white,I trow , for the giddy ai r of the bal l- room .

”

Turning to her dressing- table,she said coaxingly :

Here i s my rouge- pot, come hither an’ I will

make them bloom with the Engl i sh ros iness thatfitly belongs to them . We must not have the vaporsto- night

,an ’ i t i s t ime we set forth .

”

An hour later,descending from their cha ir as it

was set down at the Penn House , they j oined thegay company entering the garden - paths

,which were

sweet with the scent of the rose leaves scatteredupon them by the evening breeze .In the confusion of the coaches as they rol led up ,the j ostl ing of the footmen and chai r carriers

,and

dazz led by the chaise lamps,Phyll i s for a moment

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3 1 0 CROSSED SWORDS

With hose elegantly clocked,sh ining pumps with

s i lver buckles,and ful l ruffles of del icate Mechl in

lace on the bosom and at the wri sts,he was one of

the most conspicuous and dashing figures in theroom . After the roughness Of camp l ife

,and the

reti rement which she had voluntari ly sought, thescene to Phyll is seemed bewilderingly enchanting,for Benedict Arnold was lavi sh i n his tastes

,a very

prince in hospital ity,and st inted no expense when

bent on entertaining. The pink co lor t inting hercheek deepened to the hue of the blush - rose

,in the

pleasure of behold ing the splendor of the rooms ,fil l ed with the changing effects of the varieddamasks and brocades of the dresses and flashingpett icoats of the women

,and the handsomely- cut

velvets and shapely s ilk stock ings of the men . TheWitching flutter of fan and scented kerchief, theswish of ski rts

,with the archness of paint

,powder

and patches,i n the ai r heavy with the odor of green

myrtl e - berry candles,thril l ed her senses with the

unquestioning glamor of youth and innocence inunrestra ined del ight .Towards midnight

,as the dancers moved in

tempered grace to the swaying music o f the players ,the company was vastly entertain ed by a seri es ofnovel evolutions

,which had been especial ly arranged

for the occasion . The figures were led by ColonelArnold and Mistress Margaret Sh ippen

,with whom

he had opened the ball,and whose names the gossips

had l inked together,whispering that it was plain

that the Penn house would shortly have a sweetyoung mistress . The dance was intended to sym

bolize the happy union of sent iment exist ing

CHALLENGED 3 1 1

between France and the United States,whose

independence had been first recognized by thatcountry some two years before , and as a compl imentto the French noblemen on the field

,all iance with

whom was making their language the fashion of theday.

A company of eight couples formed in an anteroom and entered the dancing- hall

,two by two ,

four of the gentlemen dressed in the regimentals ofthe French arm y, and four in the blue - and - buff ofthe American . Four of the ladies appeared i n blueribands and American flowers

,and four in red

ribands and French flowers . They danced with clanking of spur and rustl e of gown

,sometimes two and

two,sometimes in figures of four couples

,and then

by a sudden movement,all blended together in

ordered rhythm to the music of flutes,viols and

drums beating on the heated,perfumed ai r .

As the strains d ied away,and the dancers grace

fully withdrew,a l oud murmur of admirat ion broke

from the men,with some soft clapping of mittened

hands and waving of kerchief or fan from thepretty groups of women . A young sprig of fashion ,airing his travelled graces among them

,posed

against an ombre—table in the latest London affectat ion , addressing the man who had so boldly admiredPhyll i s on her entrance

,exclaimed with a favorite

oathEgad , Burr , that was monstrous fine and

cleverly done ! Pari s could scarce do better .Stroking hi s ruffles as he admired the cut of his

waistcoat,and Sl ightly flushed with wine

,Burr

agreed , saying :

3 1 2 CROSSED SWORDS

Twas assured ly an uncommonly happy conceit,and one carried out wi th consummate tact andcharming effect . Hail ing a guest standing a fewfeet away on his right

, who with a measurelessgloom in his eyes was gazing at a Slender figure ingrey gauze draperies

,he laughed

,ra i sing his voice :

“ This Vanity Fair, Vanrosfeldt, seems not toyour mind . You appear to have Obtained l ittlepleasure from the pretty Show of grace and skil l

,or

from Mistress Peggy ’ s l ightness of foot,as i t was

meet you should .

”

Have you observed , he continued , that sheseems not to st int the smi les she bestows on Arnold ,cripple though he be ? I would not be averse to suchfavor mysel f . I have long coveted the winsomePeggy

’s sweet l ips . I had her to wine a hal f hoursince

,and would wi ll ingly have tippled mint - j ulep

with her t i l l morning,j ust to gaze on the bright

ness of her eyes . It seems a strange and cursedp iece O f fortune that

'

a man with two good comelyl egs

,and not call ed i ll- favored

,should have less

chance than that l imping apo thecary and erstwhilepi ll -monger . I f al l we hear be true , I trow he wouldbe more at ease walking the deck of a smuggler thantreading a minuet or whispering a love - sonnet in awoman’ s ear . ”

Sudd enly changing his tone and lowering hisvoice

,he asked

,with a broadly flatter ing glance at

Phyl l i s :Van rosfeldt

,who i s yonder fai r damsel in grey ?

I would beg her for a reel . A plague on’t ! butsince her entrance

,I am pursued by the conviction

that we have met before,by one o f those tormenting

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3 1 4 CROSSED SWORDS

raising his right hand,with a blow swi ft and sudden

,

he savagely S lapped the sneer ing,laughing l ips ,

from which a warm,red stream of blood fel l on the

satin of his vest . With face as white as the lacehandkerchief with which he staunched the blood ,Burr muttered through his clenched teeth :A curse on ye

,ye shal l hear from me

,and that

before sun - up !”to which , as he withdrew, Vanros

feldt flung back :Nothing under heaven would give me keener

pleasure than to hear from you or any other suchslanderous vi llain . I f not afraid to fight

,choose

our weapons , pistol s or blades , but be warned, takenot her name upon your perj ured l ips, nor let athought of her rest in the blackened pit of youraccursed heart !”

With eyes blazing with a wrath which swept overh im l ike a hot flame

,and before which the effrontery

of the other cowered, Van rosfeldt passed quickly

through the ball - room,and hasti ly took his leave .

With the bloodstains upon his clothes and desirousof finding a sec-0nd , Burr found a low windowaffording egress to the garden , through which hepassed out unobserved . Although possessed to anunblushing degree of the baser pass ions , and aninordinate audacity

,he was not without the nobler

attributes o f bravery and physical courage .

Before the last merry- maker,therefore

,had re

turned home in the soft summer night, the t imeand place for an exchange of shots were fullyarranged ; Edward Vanrosfelt accepting withimpatient read iness the opportunity Of meeting thetraducer of Phyll i s Davenant

,and making him

CHALLENGED

answer at the pi stol - point for his most foul anddastardly sl ight of her innocence .Through the remaining hours of the night a l ight

burned in the quarters occupied by Vanrosfeldt.

Brother Jerome, who lodged with Father Carroll in

a rel igious house on the oppos ite s ide of the street,seeing the tal l shadow of a man pacing to and froin the room

,watched i t sleeplessly until j ust before

dawn,when he saw a covered coach drive quietly up

and stop at the door of the dwell ing . The man inthe long mil itary cloak who emerged and enteringthe vehicle

,drove away, he knew to be Vanrosfeldt.

Suspicious of the nature of thei r i ntent ion,the

priest hurriedly drew h is cowl over his head andwas quickly in the street . There was no need forcaution

,as seeing his clerical habit and haste

,the

night watchman concluded the holy brother washurrying to rece ive a dying confession from somepoor sin - burdened soul

,or to administer extreme

unction to one who fain would d ie within the pa leof the Church .

Following the di rection the coach had taken , andguided by the sound of the wheels in the quiet ofthe early morning

,the priest hurr ied on . By cross

ing some garden - spaces and fields,and taking a

by- path through the woods

,he shortly arr ived at a

sheltered spot behind a church,where the determined

men stood face to face .

Hid ing among the trees,aghast

,yet fearful of

uttering a cry,he breathlessly watched the ground

paced Off,and the two principal s, pistol in hand ,

await the signal .There was an awful pause

,then on the dewy air

,

3 1 6 CROSSED SWORDS

sweet with the first tw ittering of nesting b irds, itfel l . There was a shot , a puff o f smoke , and themonk in the shadow ,

pale,trembl ing, with hands

pressed upon hi s l ips to keep back the quick , gaspingcry that almost started from them

,reeled against a

tree,and saw ,

as the smoke cleared away , both menstanding .

There was but one report ; Vanrosfeldt’

s weaponwas sti l l in hi s r ight hand

,but undischarged . Burr

,

though an excellent marksman,had

,by a hai r

breadth,missed his aim .

3

Vanrosfeldt stood unhurt , with his brown hairburnt by the ball which had passed through it .Looking contemptuously at hi s opponent

,he said

with a bitter sneerI would not do you the honor to take your

miscreant l i fe . I leave that to the hangman,who

doubtless wi ll some day do for you the deservedservice,

” and turning he pointed h is pistol at thetrees of the quiet churchyard

,where nothing l iving

was vi s ibl e, and fired . A wild shriek of agonyp i erced the stil l a ir . Looking at each other inamazement, and then i n the direct ion whence asound of groaning cam e

,the matter in hand was

suspended , and with the attending surgeon , the mentogether made search to discover its meaning .

A few moments’ quest , and hal f hidden under aleafy bush

,they found the prostrate form of the

pri est,with a red stream oozing from beneath the

fastenings of his robe . In spite of hi s faint effortsat res i stance

,and the d esperate clutch with which he

held i t,the gown was unloosed and torn away to

find the wound,which happily was found to be not

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3 1 8 CROSSED SWORDS

and leave thi s unfortunate to me, to whom I owe a

debt of gratitude I would fain now repay .

”

Then once again Therese de L ér ie found hersel fborne in the arms of the man she loved

,and in a

very abandon of j oy she forgot her pain and humil iation

,grudging not a moment of the misery of the

past and the suffering Of the present in the raptureof the few moments in which he carried her to thecoach, which was awaiting the result o f the duel .Before the ci ty was fully awake to the work and

anxieties of another day,the only woman to whom

he remembered she was known,in al l tenderness

was bending, with Edward Vanrosfeldt, over a bedin a corner Of the lobby of the State House .Although as yet unused for the purpose

,i t had been

temporari ly fitted up for a hospital , should anemergency ari se requiring its accommodation .

W ith tears fall ing down the sweet,

flower - t intedface

,from which the color was slowly ebbing with

the strong tide of emotion with which She wasstruggl ing

,Phyll i s looked down with compass ion

and shrinking pity and askedTherese

,wherefore have

-

you done thi s ? MustI tel l you that your mother

,bel ieving you to be lost

to the paths of right, i s bereft of reason , and yourfather

,his home now desolate

,has buried his grie fs

in a cel l in the order of which Leon is a B rother . ”

Suddenly a suspicion flash-cd across the mind ofthe man si lently look ing on . An ecstasy

,a great

,

mad,j oyous hope sprang in to l i fe . A very

delirium of j oy possessed him at the mere thoughtof a possibi l ity, and interrupting, with face white

CHALLENGED 3 I 9

as l inen on the bleaching green,he asked hoarsely,

with w i thering scorn :Tell me

,woman

,cal l ing yoursel f S ister

Therese,did ye l i e when ye said t

‘

hat Phyll i sDavenant sought to fly from Quebec with CaptainTemple because she loved him ,

and would ri sk herfair name to be with him ? Was it not a blackuntruth ? Speak

,and for once be free from dis

sembl ing and deceit . ”

A breathless s i lence fel l,hi s heart knocking as i t

never had at leveled muskets . Phyll i s,with hands

clasped,and l ips pressed t ightly as in an angu i sh of

fear and pain,every trace of color fled from her

cheeks,awaited the reply Of the gi rl

,w ho

,with a

look in which baffled cunning and tardy contrit ionstruggled for the mastery

,turned slowly away in

silent acknowledgment,tormented with the agony of

unrequited love which rent her woman ’s soul .Receiving his answer

,Edward Van rosfeldt

turned to Phyll i s,and holding out his hands

,his

heart in hi s vo ice,asked :

My Phyll i s,i f ye do not love him ,

tel l me whatI craved so long ago ; can ye love me ?

”

Laying her hands in his,the crimson surging into

her pale cheeks as the ful l meaning of the girl ’scruel l ie dawned upon her

,she answered simply and

solemnly,rais ing her eyes to his in the sweetness of

shyly - l i fted l idsTill death doth us part .An ’ ye wil l marry me

,Phyll i s

,my own

,my

love he whispered,drawing her closer and closer

unti l her heart beat against hi s own ; but the face

CROSSED SWORDS

hid against his blue coat was wet with tears,as she

wept in m ingled joy and pain . Lifting it to lookinto his

,in her sweet surrender

,but with a tender

reluctance,she said with a quake in her voice

I own I have fought against my heart,in a sore

and bitter struggle ’ twixt love and duty . Love hasconquered me

,but alas ! duty forbids me to v ow to

one who wears thi s sword , which i s crossed in bloodystri fe with those of my coun try and kin .

”

Looking down into the starry eyes , in whichsmiles and tears strove for mastery

, his own darkwith longing and the Sharp struggle ’twixt h is loveand loyalty, he asked :When thi s blade i s sheathed again in peace , i f I

l ive to come back,I will ask thi s question once

again ; an’ whether i t wil l be yea or nay

,and the

time be seven t imes the years that Jacob served forRachel

,i t wi ll seem but a few days for the love I

bear you !”

Therese,ly ing forgotten in the cruelest pain a

woman ’s heart can bear,burst ing in to bitter weep

ing,called forth al l the tender pity of her chi ld

hood ’s companion . Drawing away f rom her loverand whispering to him to l eave them alone , Phyll isben t down and asked , her face pale with woundedfeel ing :Therese , what have I done that thus I should be

serv ed ? What could have moved you to committhe sacr il ege of assuming mock vows

,and spreading

susp icion of my puri ty of purpose in seeking Cap -t

tain Temple’s ship,which

,thank heaven

,he never so

misjudged !”“ I will tel l you

,Phyll i s Davenant ! Because I

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CROSSED SWORDS

There i s one more question I would haveanswered

,and I adj ure you speak to me naught but

the truth ! A nun,one of the sisterhood in the

convent at Quebec,where I have heard from your

mother you were at the same t ime in h id ing, told mea most wretched tal e o f weakness and dishonor ; thata novice

,one called Agatha

,had disappeared and

fled the vows she was about to take for love of asoldier there encamped . Was ever proof found ofthei r gui l t ?”

“ Nay,

’ twas an idle tale,a j est—bel i eve i t not.

There was a novice,Agatha , whose vei l I wore when

She was laid away beneath the altar in the chapel,

”

was the reply ; for knowing that nothing was thento be gained by falseness or further deceit

,sh

determined to throw hersel f on Phyll i s’s kindnesand unmerited offer of Shelter .Desp ite the reprehensible part played in the disguise and the abhorrent dupl ici ty of trying to casaspers ion upon her

,and compromise her in the e

of others,Phyll is

,in the joy of learning that

story about her lover had been false, made no rproach, but

,

with a sigh of rel ie f,exclaimed :

“ I thank heaven for these words,for

’ t i s sweto know that where we love we can also trust !”

An overwhelming gladness fil led her soul thatone she had at first loved for the manly beauty of

his face and form,was, l ike t rue knight of old ,

brave,chivalrous

,without reproach and too noble to

stoop to aught unworthy his manhood and the placehe held in her heart . Even though it broke withlonging for h im

,though a cruel fate should part

them,she would have him keep faith with what he

CHALLENGED 3 2 3

deemed the right ; for she knew were he even forher sake to desert h i s post, her love would at thatinstant be s lain

,her respect for him forever dead

and buried . She told hersel f that she would rathernever look upon his face again than go to his armsi f he were recreant in h i s allegiance to that to whichhe had pledged himsel f . But the woman in herwould not always be s i lenced , and , in spite of hersel f

,a plaint would at times ri se to her l ips

,and with

streaming eyes she would vainly wish that the coathe wore w ere red instead of blue .

CHAPTER XVIII .

WHO SHAL L WIN ?

UNDER the l eading of Arnold as Governor ofPhiladelphia the ci ty was caught in an un interruptedwhirl of soc ial d issipation

,which continued without

slacking through the ensui ng months of summerand autumn, in an extravagance hitherto unknownin the quiet ci ty of Master Penn

,the place seeming

at last to go wild in a sort of m idwinter madnessof frivol ity and folly . With the approaching spri ngtime, however, the skating on the broad Delaware,in which sport the gentlemen of Philadelphia wereunrivaled in grace and skil l

,the gambl ing away of

golden guineas,the pleasant dri ves along the country

roads in the sunl it days and moon - bright nights,and

even the routs and revels, began to lose something

of thei r charm . In some of the more ardent andadventurous Spirits there was a sti rring of the blfor the allurements of the field , the running of thfox to cover, and the wild j oys of the racecourse .

Benedict Arnold loved a good horse,from th

del i cate,expanding nostri l and intel l igent eye to t

firm , powerful quarters and steel - strung hocks .knew how to fin d the points for speed and gbreeding in the deep shoulder

,clean - cut head

breadth between the eyes,and wel l set ears

,as

as any fox - hunter in the copses of Virginia or theblue - grass meadows of Kentucky . His blood thi rsted

32 4

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32 0 CROSSED SWORDS

and high stakes laid . The horse whose capacityand performances were most feared as a r ival toMars was his halfabrother , Saturn, another bay andextremely l ike him i n points and markings , to beridden by Captain Aaron Burr

,the former by a

Sporting gentl eman of Philadelphia .

The day arr ived and dawned clea r and propit ious ,with the moist, del icious fragrance of the night l ingering on the Apri l ai r . The course was in idealcondit ion and the horses in excellent form . At anearlv hour everyone possess ing a chai se , gig or carr iage was roll ing along the r iver road to the countrymansion of Colonel Arnold

,many pleasure seekers

in twos and threes going afoot . Among the ladies ,every trick of toi let and fasci nation of streamingriband and float ing ringlet were brought into playfor the occasion . With wide, flaring- rimmed bonnets and hats d l

’

Espagnole, the latest mode inParis

,and frocks the gayest the ladies ’ wardrobes

possessed,there never was a braver Show of beauty

and fashion . In the golden Spring weather and

sweet- smell ing land,and on such a quest, i t seemed

easy to forget for the time the crash and horror ofwar .In the great Shippen coach was the group of si s

ters,thei r bright eyes peeping from beneath the sun

masks that Shaded their pretty faces . Peggy’s t ime

and attention were fully occupied along the way incasting coquett ish glances at the occupants of thesaddles ri ding by

,atti red either in uniform or the

vesture of private cit izens,with well - fitting Shorts

and gold - tr immed beaver,some wearing “ spatter

dashes ” to protect thei r fine breeches . As they

WHO SHALL WIN ?32 7

passed the coach Mistress Peggy could not but poutwith vexat ion that the sta id respectabi l ity of herfather ’ s equipage would not permit of the horsesincreasing their ordinary genteel gait to suit herimpatience to arrive at the course .

On overtaking at a turn of the road the modestchaise of Mistress Knox she nodded prettily to

t llis, whose bright face, as Sweet as the day , wasaglow with the fresh air o f the morning

,and some

asti r within her whi ch had come down fromg squires who for generations had hunted

brown glebes and ridden through the countrys of the green Shires of England . She lookedunlike an English flower

,in her daffod i l gown

and great lengths Of white riband t ied under herch in

,with a rose fastened in her scarf throwing the

sweetest sort of a p ink Shadow on her throat .At last the Shippen coach rumbl ed grandly into

arranged for the accommodation of theAmong the si lks and satins of thesoon descried her horse carrying thehite of the Shippen colors

,which al so

from her bosom,and for the first time in

in her gay,wil ful young heart she felt she

r ight gladly forego the Sovereign ty of herand come down from her throne as queen of

belles to be for one hal f hour a man .

ight leap on her beauti ful bay,whose

she caught a gl impse of on hi s way todock

,and make a dash for victory .

The gentlemen of her acquaintance gathered atr carriage steps

,laying odds on the favorites

,and .

was'

expected from men of gal lant ry and breeding,

32 8 CROSSED SWORDS

compl imented the ladies on the color of their gownsand the pretty fash ion Of their hair . They assuredher with certainty that her horse was the best inthe field

,graceful ly uttering the well - turned phrases

by which men of fash ion affected to embell ish theirconversation .

The witnessing of the trial had to be made pri ncipally from the seats of the carriages, which , withthe coaches and chariots Of the gentry, were rangedon e ither s ide of the last quarter o f a mile of therun . The course, which was between three and fourmiles in length

,was kept clear by two mounted men

from the city garrison . The contestants va ri ed muchin appearance , but none showed the mettle of thetwo hal f- brothers , Mars and Saturn . As Peggywatched their gai ly decked riders , well matched inweight and Skil l

,bring them to the start ing- point ,

She pressed her hand upon her heart to qui et thethrobbing which was sending the flushes of exci tement flaming to her cheeks .Arnold, who was regarding her mantl ing color

with looks of passionate admi rat ion, exclaimed :A hundred guineas on Mars !” and as her grat i

fied smile flashed upon him he said in a low voice tothe girl to whom he had already paid court

“Would to heaven I were as dear to you as isyonder dumb beast !”

Turning to him in a del ir ium of excitement sherepl ied :I f he win to day I wil l not say you nay .

He grasped her hand and almost prayed that thel i ttl e bay horse l ined up with s ix others in front

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330 CROSSED SWORDS

point was good and a l ittle down hill,Mars gain

ing steadily as they approached the water . As theyrose for the brush - and—rai l in front of i t Arnoldturned a deathly pale , for they were almost together,too close in fact, and a shri ek came from the whitel ips of the girl as clasping her hands wildly she

gazed . Her horse came up with every brave nerveand s inew strung to i ts utmost in a tremendous rushin hi s rider’s effort to get on even terms with hisrival . They cannoned i n mid - air

,and crashing to

gether fel l short o f the bank and wen t headlonginto the brook .

All that could be seen or heard was the confusionof the bystanders rushing toward the drenched andhalf- drowned men

,the consternat ion among the car

r iages and the groans from the crowd . The horsesst ruggl ed to their foot ing, and the riders, d isentangling themselves

,wildly scrambled out . The

colors of both horses and men being then the dunof the miry water , and as the l atter were about thesame size

,and both their horses bay

,i t was almost

imposs ible to ident i fy them as they emerged hal fbl inded and confused by the shock . Just as thosenearest in the rear rose to take the jump and rideover them

,the plucky men leaped into the wet

saddles,scarce h'eeding whether they had the sti r

rups or not , and dashed for the drop jump at thehead of the field . Turning then to the r ight andtaking a diagonal course across the meadow to abig stone wal l in the inner circle

,and on over an

other, th ey ran out upon the course that was flaggedfor the run home . The animal s were then comingon as one horse—neck and neck—al l eyes were

WHO SHALL WIN

s trained,and the air rang with cries of Mars !” and

Saturn !” which at last ended in one prolongedcheer

,as Burr

,gaining on the other

,passed in front

of the j udge ’s stand winner by hal f a length , andthe g reat event was over !Mars ’ mistress sank hal f - fainting among the

cushions as shout after shout rent the ai r . Arnoldwas white as the cambric of the kerchie f covering heragitated face . He fully bel i eved that had her horsewon

,the gir l he - loved with all the intensity of hi s

fierce nature would have been carr ied away by thevictory of the animal he had trained for her

,and i n

the moment of elation have found her favor, al

ready in a measure caught, blossom into love , andwould wi ll ingly have paid her wager .Both riders were quietly di smounting

,and in the

act o f removing their saddles,when shout after

shout ros'

e,more deafening and prolonged than even

before,seeming to rend the very sky . There was a

hurrying of grooms to and fro,hot words and even

oaths among the crowd,the commotion extending

to the j udges’ stand itsel f . Breaking away fromthe excited groups, Mistress Peggy

’s black stableboy, with eyes roll ing with del ight, rushed madlyup to the carriage

,and

,pull ing off hi s cap

,panted

out

Oh , M i st’

i s Peggy,our hoss dun won afte ’ al l !

Marsa Burr down dar at de water j ump dun git al lmixed up in de mud an ’ jummd on our Mars ’ steadob his own Saturn an’ dun won de race fur us ! An ’

laws - a-massa,he

’

s j us r agin ’ , swear in’ mad down

dar and fl inging his torn cap in the air,he shouted

as he ran,Hooray fur Mars !”

332 CROSSED SWORDS

A s they then comprehended that in the confusionof the fal l at the twelve - foot brook

,the r iders had

mounted each other ’s horses and tried desperately tobeat thei r own

,Arnold turned to the hysterical girl

and said brokenly,his heart beating l ike a smith’s

hammer : Peggye have won !” and holding out

her hand w i th a smile shining through her tearsl ike a ra inbow on a storm—swept sky, she answered ,“ And

,Benedict

,so l ikewise have you !

Although Arnold had al ready been married andhad several children

,he thus caught and won the

love of sweet Margaret Shippen,and so enamored

was he with her beauty and h i s own good fortunethat he scarce could keep his eyes from her face ashe rode home bes ide her carriage wheel .A few weeks later

,when the April showers had

made bloom the flowers of May, as in al l the wealthof her youth and beauty

,she stood bes ide him at the

altar,the heart of the lovely girl was only the more

ten der,that he was compelled from the weakness of

his old wound to l ean upon the arm of a comrade .

- As she walked in her virgin white , among thefluttering ribands of her attending bridal maids

,with

the promise of summer glowing around her andthe song of the goldfinch overhead , perchance shethought i t could not be possibl e that clouds couldever darken skies that on that day shone so fairly.

In the months which followed his nuptials,in al l

the glamor of his new - found happiness , Arnold lovedto sit in state at hi s lordly banquets

,attended by his

ai des , with henchmen at his beck and call , and lookwith pride upon his br ide reigning at hi s board .

Lovel i er than even in her maiden days,she queened

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334 CROSSED SWORDS

Tis that the garden seems l ike a bit of dear oldEngland as I d imly remember it

,and as my mother

hath often described it . In this strange land thesedog - roses and g i llyflowers, with thei r sweetness andhomel ike Engl ish faces

,bring to mind my child

hood .

” Stooping and gathering a pansy she wenton : Here too i s ever dear heartsease ! Thesedel icate flower

’

scents that in the dusk of twil ight orear ly morning hang over this garden vale, bring tome

,Peggy

,as odors ever do in some subtle way,

memories of other days and thoughts of my mother .Here are the foxglove and marybuds she loved !Even these homely herbs

, s avory, thyme and spearmint

,bring me heart - pangs of how she longed once

more to s ee them growing by the door- side far away .

Alas ! she never did again behold them and thebrightness left her face in a dew of tears .Putting her arms around her

,Peggy

, who lovedher

,then spoke he r wish

,saying :

This brooding i s not well or w i s e, Phyll i s .’Twere better not to harbor thoughts such as these ;so

’twil l be best that the boon I have come hither tocrave meet w i th your pleasure . ’Tis that I haveyour companionship to New York State

, to which ,as ye know , I shortly go. A soj ourn there wil l , without doubt , be to your benefit, and not without the

power of divert ing your thoughts from dwell ing onthe past and being fea rful of the future . The cityof New York is in the hands of the Briti sh

,and

their v icinity would doubtless be more to your mindthan thi s town from which some time ago theymarched .

”

WHO SHALL WIN ?335

Restless and wearying with suspense of thechances of war and her sol icitude for the man she

loved , fighting on the field,a change for a time

seemed welcome ; so when the great coach started onthe first stage of the j ourney she was one of thetravell ing party .

Arnold,on being j o ined by his wi fe

,with her

guest and servants,fixed his quarters in a picturesque

dwel l ing on the bank s of the Hudson,a short dis

tance from the post . It had been whispered thatunder the shade of its trees

,in days gone by

,the

awkward young V i rginian , George Washington,had sued in vain for the favor of a maiden’s hand .

There then in those same shades,in what seemed

a perversity of fate, walked his fri end , trusted forfaith and honor

,but with a consum ing anger in hi s

heart,and within his soul a nursed lust for retal ia

t ion . The hatching of a traitor ’ s plot—the foul anddeep decei t he contemplated—gradually took tangibl eshape and ult imately practical form .

When the time for action had fully come,in the

city of New York two Briti sh officers,S ir Henry

Clinton and Maj or John André,were in close and

earnest converse . The former, th in - l ipped and withface hardened to decis ion, said impress ively andabruptly :

On obtaining possess ion of West Point, André ,with its wel l - stored magazines and suppl ies

,we shal l

gain an incalculable advantage of the enemy . Ihave long had suspicion of the personal ity of our

disgui sed correspondent,and now know with cer

tainty that the man who i s secretly to meet you is

336 CROSSED SWORDS

none other than General Benedict Arnold,the hero

of Saratoga,and a valorous leader at the s iege of

Quebec !”

He is a man of uncommon courage,S ir Henry

,

as we have too well known throughout this cam

paign , and in no case hath he shown so utter a disregard of fear as in the interview which we are aboutto have

,was the guarded and somewhat uneasy

reply .

“Aye,André

,thus i t appears

,but I counsel you

notwithstand ing to maintain the utmost caution andvigi lance in deal ing with him . A man of his naturemight be as treacherous to us as he is to his owncause

,so I would counsel you to beware

,for i f the

sl ightest hint of danger to himsel f should menacethi s scheme

,I w arrant he would ruthl essly sacr ifice

both us and our proj ect to save himsel f . In no case,”

he said emphatical ly,permit h im to draw you

within the enemy’ s l ines,accept no papers nor writ

ten communicat ions at hi s hand,and

,

” rais ing hisvoice

,

“ above everyth ing else avoid acting in thesl ightest degree the character of a spy .

”

“A spy ! Nothing, si r , would be more abhorrent

to my nature and breeding !” was the dignified re

j o inder ; and with face hotly flushed and a suddenhaughty l i fti ng of thehead

,he continued , and as

our meeting i s to take place in the cabin of one ofour own boats

,thi s contingency i s not l ikely to

ari se .”

The next morning at dawn the Vulture movedup the river

,with Major André abroad . Reaching

the place of rendezvous,he anxiously scanned the

river for the ski ff in which the recreant Patriot was

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338 CROSSED SWORDS

Knowing that the sword of a rel entless vengeancehung by but a thread over thei r heads

,should the

sl ightest miscarriage occur in the laying of thei rplans

,the remaining hours of darkness were spent

in carefully perfecting them . The grey dawn l ightsteal ing in revealed each other ’ s features for thefirst t ime

,and sti l l the full detail s o f the plot lacked

the necessary completeness for success . Mounti ngthe horse which Arnold had brought , André rode byhis s ide to a dwel l ing- house hard by, in order to havefurther conference . The sharp challenge of a sent inel breaking on the si lent dusk of the passing nightstartled André in h is saddle , and again he recal ledthe words : In no case permit him to draw youwithi n the enemy’s l ines . He felt the dangerkeenly ; he knew it was then too late to turn back , buthoped that a long blue surtout

,which covered his

person,would hide the fact that he was on hostil e

territory,without a flag or sati s factory excuse for

his presence . To further add to h is uneasiness , asound of firing was heard in the di rection of theVu lz‘ure. That vessel bei ng within range of theAmer ican guns

,they had Open ed fire

,and she was

forced to hoist her anchor and drop further downstream .

During the morning the whole matter was arranged . The Brit i sh troops were to be in mom

tary readiness ; the American garrison to btered throughout the defiles and passes of the Hlands , or sent into the mountain gorges , and aremoved from the great cha in which preventedsel s from havi ng free access to the r iver.The last deta i l was at length complete, and

WHO SHAL L WIN ?339

possible and probabl e circumstance carefully prov ided for . With the papers conta ining descriptionsof the works , the armament and the number oftroops hold ing it, placed between his stock ings andthe soles of André ’s feet

,they were ready to separ

ate . They accordingly bade each other adieu,Arnold

saying with affected cordial i ty : “ Farewel l,Major

André , when next we meet West Point wil l beyour s . ” Turning away

,he went up the river to hi s

barge,and André

,with disquieting thoughts for

company , and with a burning impatience for thereturn of the sheltering darkness , passed in hid ingthe remaining hours of the day ere he could again

But the firing of the guns on the ship in which hewas to return had awakened fears in others besidesthe man so

,

feverishly anxious to stand once moreupon its deck . The boatman refused to touch anoar to pul l him back , but offered his company anda horse i f he would take a land route

,which per

force seemed al l that remained to be done . Following the advice o f Arnold

,and assuming the disguise

which he had given him,André doffed his uni form ,

and sett ing out endeavored as a private cit izen toreach neutral ground

,where he would be safe in his

own person,and nothing could prevent the carrying

out of the plans lying snugly beneath the soles of hisfeet .After proceeding about eight mil es he and hiscompanion were stopped by an American patrol ,but the pass with Arnold ’ s s ignature was sati sfacto ry

,and on accept ing it the officer said :I would counsel you, even with these credentials,

CROSSED SWORDS

against proceed ing further unti l dayl ight,as by

pushing on through the night,susp icion may be

excited in regard to your honesty of purpose .

”

Taking the advice, a halt was made for the n ight,and at early dawn the j ourney was resumed . Everymile passed brought the cheerful convict ion that alldanger would soon be over

,so that a frugal break

fast, obtained at a farm - house by the way, was partaken of with rel i sh and in excel lent sp iri ts . Bidd ingeach other good q bye, the two men then separated ; theone returning home , feel ing rel ieved that he was outof what had seemed a hazardous business ; the otherto make his way as speedi ly as possibl e to New York .

As Andre’

moved along toward the Continenta l outposts in the vicini ty of Tarrytown

,hi s mind was

ful l of the great results of the compact which he hadwith so much boldness and ci rcumspection com

pleted . Already he began to feel merry, that , whiledi sregarding his instruct ions

,and actually having

been within the enemy ’s l ines,he was about to pass

into safe territo ry . Descending into a glen whichwas pleasantly shaded

,he suddenly perce ived three

figures in the path in front of him . The men hadbeen lying in the bushes near a stream to watch theroad and prevent the driv ing of any cattle southward ,for the use of the Brit i shers

,

” and to see that nota truss of hay or ear of corn reached their l ines .After remaining hidd en for some time , and al lowingseveral persons with whom they were famil iar topass unheeded

,they a t last saw what seemed like a

stranger enter the glen,and one of the men said :

There comes a gentleman - l ike man,who appears

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342 CROSSED SWORD S

pumps from off your feet,we would see what kind

of hosen is with in them .

”

Apparently with alacr ity and indifference hepul led hi s feet out of the shoes and stood in hisstock ings on the bare ground

,when one of the men

watching closely said :For thread hose

,these look uncommon clumsy

on the sole ; what is thi s con cealed between them andyour feet ?”

“ Remove them,s irrah

,said another

,although

we are distressed to incommode so fine a gentl em anby this rough handling.

”

Th en the del i cate fingers which had so often ,with deft use of pen and brush , brought the flushof pleasure to fa i r faces , were forced , by the roughmen into whose hands he had fallen

,to do thei r

bidding and strip off the stockings . As he saw thepriceless papers seized by them and examined , heknew that his l iberty, his cause and his country

’sfate were in the power of thei r horny hands

,as in a

breath they cr i ed :My God , he i s a spy !

”

In si lence,the order to put on his clothes was

obeyed,the three men looking on ,

hardly recking thefar- reach ing effects and vital consequences o f theirmorning’s work . In thei r own rough clothes theywatched him curiously as he stoically dressed

,put

t ing on the nankeen breeches and waistcoat,the

boots that had lost their secret,and then the claret~

colored body coat,with its ‘buttons

'

and button - holeslaced with gold t inse l . When he donned his blueovercoat and round hat

,he announced himsel f.

saying

Gentlemen, I am ready . What i s your will andpleasure ?”

Their pleasure was to del iver him up , and withone at hi s horse ’s head

,and one at e ither side

,their

wil l was forthwi th carried out .Meanwhile the confident Arnold reached his head

quarters,where he was solaced by the cheerful corn

pan ionsh ip of hi s wi fe and babe . He passed theevening apparently without anxiety in her happysociety

,evincing no conce rn even when she informed

him that she expected General Wash ingt on , whohad ridden to Hartford to hold counci l with theFrench General and the Marquis de Lafayette

,to

breakfast in the morning .

To keep th is appointment,and cover the inter

v en ing eighteen miles , Washington and his sui tewere in the saddle before dawn . When near WestPoint

,the General turned his horse down a lane

toward the river . . Vanrosfeldt noticing it , said inrespectful remonstrance

“ General , are ye not going in the wrong d i rection ? Mistress Arnold i s wait ing breakfast for us ,and that road wil l take us out of the way .

”

The Chief, with one of h is rare smiles , answeredwith unusual humor

Ah,I know you young men are all in love with

sweet young Mistress Arnold,and wish to appear

before her as soon as possible . Vanrosfeldt,ye may

go and take your breakfast with her, and tel l her notto wait for me , as I must ride down and examine theredou'bts on th i s s ide of the river . I wi l l be therein a short t ime .”The other officers remained , but Vanrosfeldt,

344 CROSSED SWORDS

aware that Phyll i s was the guest of General Arnold’

swi fe

,eagerly rode off with an ai de

,to explain as

quickly as possibl e the cause of the delay . Breakfast was waiting when they arrived

,and when it

was understood that the remainder of the partywould not fol low for a t ime

,the meal was served .

During the course of it the host seem ed to be moodyand preoccupied

,with spasmodic attempts at be ing

cheerful and at h i s ease . If the plans had been actedupon

,the weakened l ink in the chain

,which had been

forged strong and true to prevent Brit i sh vessel sfrom enter ing the river

,should ere that have been

broken,and the Briti sh be in s ight . They tarried um

accountably,with the further compl ication that

Washington had arrived two days earl ier than hewas expected . Not observing that his gaiety wasforced

,the others around the board talked pleasantly

and freely, Phyll i s unabl e to conceal her happiness .The meal was yet unfinished, when a soldi er wasseen coming up the river path

,holding a despatch in

hi s hand ; who , entering, presented it to the General ,saying he had been instructed by an ofli cer i n one ofthe outposts below to del iver it into Gen eral Arnold ’shands . With an i ron grasp on hi s emot ions he brokethe seal

,and hasti ly read , but not a feature changed ;

there was not a tremor in his voice,not one at the

table regarding him with close interest had a shadowof a suspicion that the ha ir had snapped

,the 5

had fallen ! for on the page were writtenmomentous words : Major André

,of the B

Army, on whose person suspicious papers havefound

,i s under arrest and in my custody .

Calmly fold in g up the sheet,he made some

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346 CROSSED SWORDS

Jumping upon his horse,and tak ing his pi stols from

the holst ers— for he would not be taken al ive— he! lashed down a steep hil l , raced along a by- path as i fevery fiend in hell were at his heels , and soonreached the river . He leaped upon his barge, andcommanding the s ix oarsmen to pul l out into thestream

,said to them : I must needs go on board yon

Briti sh ship with a flag,and am obl iged to make all

possible haste in order that I may return in t imeto rece ive the General ; so pull your best, my lads ,and yeshall have two good gal lons of rum for yourpains . ” On reaching the ship he turned and said tohis crew and boatswai n : Ye are prisoners ! I havegone over to the Brit ish !They protested with fierce indignation ; when he

endeavored to bribe them ,saying : Come with me,

and I wil l make you al l corporals and sergeants inthe Brit i sh Army and turning to the boatswain :Ye shall have even more than this

,but the man

with the rough hands of a boatman , but with thehigh soul of a true patriot

,repl ied

,the angry blood

surging into h is cheeksN0

,that I never will ; one coat is enough for

me ; I’ l l be cursed i f I ’ l l wear two.

”

Arnold had but ridden a few minutes from hi sdoor

,when the Commander - in—Chief arrived

,and

hearing that he had been suddenly summoned toWest Point

,ate in haste

,saying :

“ I wil l not then wait , but wil l go and meet h imthere . Vanrosfeldt, ye may remain behind unt il Ireturn hi ther to dinner . ”

As h is barge floated down the stream,Washing

ton looked toward the fo rt,expect ing

,as Arnold

WHO SHALL WIN ?347

aware of his intended arr ival,the usual salute

hi s guns , but nearer and nearer in S i lence theapproached the landing- place . As soon as it

shore, an officer, looking much disturbed ,ed

,and saluting said :

beg that your Excellency wil l pardon ourng lack of courtesy in the omission of a sa lutethe guns

,as, being uninformed of your in

rr ival,i t had not been ordered .

”

Look ing in surprise at the man,Washington

S ir, i s not General Arnold here ?No, si r, he has not been here these two days ,

nor have I heard from him within that time .A deep flush of mingled surprise and suspicion

mounted to the General ’ s brow,but giving no further

eviden ce of either,he proceeded with the insp ection

of the works,and about mid - day was again upon

the r iver,returning to Arnold ’ s home . As the dock

was reached,Maj or Van rosfeldt hurried down the

path and spoke in low tones to his Chief, when proceed ing together to the house, he laid before himthe papers which had ‘been found on André’ s persona few hours before .Accompanying them was a letter from theprisoner reveal ing his name and rank , and stat ingwith the utmost candor the ci rcumstances by whichhe had been snared to his destruction .

S ilently the man whose bosom was stung by theserpent he had cherished

,s igned to Vanrosfeldt to

fol low him into an inner room,when in extreme

agitation he exclaimed,as the tears ran down his

cheeks

348 CROSSED SWORDS

Arnold gone over to the enemy ! Whom now

can we trust ?” and adding in the bitter scorn andloathing of an upright man—“

I begrudge him notto the B ri ti sh !A sound of bitter sobbing coming from a chamber

near by,he went toward it

,and knocking

,stepped

with in,where the fugi tive ’s wi fe

,in un controllable

grie f,was weeping and call ing on her husband ’s

name . On seeing the,

General and his offi cers sheupbraided them with being in a plot to murder herch i ld . One moment She was raving wildly

,and the

next softly weep ing, pressing her infant to her

breast,and lamenting the fate his father had brought

upon him . Her sweetness,innocent youth , wifely

tenderness and fondness for her chi ld,called forth

thei r deepest pity,and the man whom her husband

had sought to betray to hi s enemies spoke words ofgentle sympathy to her, desi ri ng her to take comfortthat she and her unconscious babe were pure fromthe foul taint o f treachery and dishonor .Not many hours a fterward

,Andre

’

was conductedto army headquarters . On the way

,apparently not

real iz ing the grave pos ition in which he was placed ,he conversed affably with Major Vanrosfeldt

,who

with another officer was in command of hi s escorting guard , aski ng them at last :According to your army ’s code , what is the

nature and extent of the penalty required for anoffence such as I am charged with ?”

Van rosfeldt dropped a step behind,and turned

his head away,unable to meet the ingenuous ques

tion ing of the handsome eyes,fill ed with the l ight of

genius,hope and love of l i fe . The other

,with tears

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350 CROSSED SWORDS

Lamentably true the forecast of his doom proved .

In spite o f letters of entreaty from Clinton and evenfrom Arnold

,and the sympathy and efforts of both

armies,John André

,Adjutant - General in the Brit ish

service,was condemned by the inexorable code of

war,in the words of hi s j udge

, to hang by theneck unti l you are dead , and may the Lord havemercy on your soul . The prisoner—the arti st

,the

sold ier o f rank,young

,handsome

,and of most

engaging disposit ion—was then removed under astrong guard to await the hour that justice namedfor the piti less carrying out of its fiat .Hanged !” he cried ; hanged as the vi lest

felon ! My doom i s sealed , and I bow to it ; but letme di e a soldier ’s death ; l et a bul let, sure andstraight

,rid me of l i fe

,but

,my God

,not the rope !

That i s too bitter a drop in thi s cup of wormwoodthat I must needs drink !” Turning suddenly

,he

requested : Grant me the use o f quil l and ink - horn ,Van rosfeldt and I wil l entreat thi s grace fromyour Chief . S itt ing down, the hand , which so oft

i n other days had penned the rounded sonnet andfair l ines of poesy, with nervous haste then movedover the page, to crave in touching phrase the boonhe sought

,not the sav ing of hi s l i fe

,but as to the

manner in which it should be taken from him . Hewrote :

“ S ir,buoyed above the terror o f death by the

consciousness of a l i fe devoted to honorable pursuitsand stained with no action that can give me remorse

,

I trust that the request I make Your Excellency willnot be rej ected . Sympathy toward a sold ier wi l lsurely induce Your Excel lency to adapt the mode of

WHo SHAL L WIN ?35 1

death to the feel ings of a man of honor . Let mehope

, si r , that i f aught in my character impressesyou with esteem toward one so unfortunate, that Imay be informed that I am not to die on a gibbet .I have the honor to be Your Excellency ’ s most

humble servant,

JOHN ANDRE .

”

Sanding and seal ing it,he requested that i t be

del ivered without delay, and on no answer beingreceived

,the hope that his prayer would be heard

became a certainty in his mind .

On the morning of October the second the sunrose on a smil ing world

,dawning c lear and fai r .

I t found John André ready and not afra id to die .A solemn hush as of the Sabbath brooded over thebanks of the Hudson

,glowing with the Soft hue of

the lul l ing Indian summer . Above the pal i sade - l ikeheights and slop ing bluffs o f the r iver the sky wasethereal blue

,and below the water was bluer . The

ai r was salt with the scent of the di stant sea,where

white gull s spread the ir wings and gallant shipsthei r sails

,and to which fleecy clouds slowly dri fted .

The world was beauti ful on such a day , and to nonesweeter than to the eyes of the arti st - soldier . i n lovewith l i fe

,but whose last sun was gild ing the scene

into the serene calm of heaven . On every windingpathway of the hil l s and val leys

,quiet groups ,

sol emn as i f going to church,walked to a common

centre,to see how a brave man could d ie ; whom he

who sign ed his death warrant, with tears on hischeeks

,had pronounced to be more unfortunate

than criminal , an accompl ished man and a gallantofli cer .

”

352 CROSSED SWORDS

Partak ing of the breakfast, which had been sentas usual from the General ’s table

,with composure

and no evidence of perturbation , he rose quietly andproceeded to perform the detai l s of his to ilet . Hecompleted i t with as much care as i f i t were for aball at the Shippen homestead in the old happy daysin Phi ladelphia

,instead Of to march to that ghastly

th ing wait ing for him yonder , gruesome even inthe dancing morning sunl ight . Del iberately , andwith the same precision as i f it were for dressparade at Windsor

,he put on h is regimentals, as an

Adj utant - General in the Briti sh army . The br il l i antscarlet coat

,with beauti ful green facings

,was

buttoned over the vest and breeches Of l ight buffcolor

,but the spurs

,sword and gorget were omitted .

His long and beauti ful hair was bound with a blackriband

,which fel l down hi s back

,and the natural

beauty of hi s features was heightened by the paleness of his face and the calm serenity of his eyes .Turning to the officers and guard who were to dothe duty of leading him forth

,he placed his hat upon

a table and said cheerful ly, with right sold i erlyspi ri t : I am ready at any moment

,gentlemen

,to

wait upon you .

”

As the sun On the dial cast the mark of highnoon

,the cortege prepared to set forth , the prisoner

between two subalterns with drawn swords,with a

captain ’s command of some forty men immediatelyenci rcl ing him . Five hundred infantry, surrounding the whole

,formed a hol low square

,and almost

every Officer in the garrison rode beh ind,but neither

the Chief nor any Of hi s staff were present . In al lthe houses along the way silent onlookers filled the

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354 CROSSED SWORDS

Am I not to be shot l ike a sold ier and a gentleman ? Must I die in thi s i gnobl e manner ?”

“ It i s so ordered . Ye are a sold ier,s ir

,and

brave,and know how to meet it,

”was the low

answer .‘Alas ! how hard i s my fate !” he cried .

But i t wil l soon be over, Vanrosfeldt whi s

pered,as they resumed the piti ful march . With

this encourag ing thought , André recovered , andbold ly approaching the gibbet

,he leaped lightly into

the wagon containing his coffin , which stood beneaththe cross—tree . The uneasy roll ing of a pebbleunder one of hi s feet

,and the sinking and swell ing

of h i s throat , alone gave evidence of the mentalsuffer ing he was enduring . Holding out his handto Van rosfeldt and his fel low - soldiers to bid themfarewel l

,the man who had been detailed to attend

to his wants S ince his arrest suddenly broke out intoa passionate fit of weeping . Call ing him to him ,

Andre’

said quietly,Be a man ; Show more resolu

t ion,

” and throwing aside hi s hat,he removed the

stock from h is neck and Opened hi s collar .The hangman

,hideously d isguised

,a prisoner

who had bought hi s own l i fe by performing a taskwhich no other was found will ing to undertake , thenapproached . Snatching the rope from his awkwardfingers

,André drew it over his head , adjusted the

knot,and pulled it t ightly into place

,his

face fil led with the d i sgust and loathing Ofinstrument of death . With hi s own handkerch ihe bound hi s eyes ; for i f a sold ier

’s l i fe teachaught, i t shows a man how fitly to face deat

WHO SHALL WIN ? 355

Vanrosfeldt, his face white as the prisoner’s ,

inquired :I s there anything, Major André , that ye would

wish to say ?”

Raising the bandage,and turning to the speaker

and those surrounding him,wi th a bow he might

have learned at court,the doomed man said with

dignity and firmness :“ All I request

,gentlemen

,i s that ye wil l bear

witness to the world that I d i e as becomes a Britishsold i er and a ‘brave man .

Immediately it was curtly and necessarily commanded :

His arms must be tied .

Raising hi s voice,he pleaded in piteous accents ,

that pierced the hearts of all within hear ing :“ Let me be unpinioned

,I pray you

,si rs ;

’ t i sdeg rad ing

'

to go to one ’s death ti ed l ike a beast inthe shambles .S ilence was the only reply . The hangman with

a cord attempted to lay hands on him ,but with a

quick movement the pri soner struck the rope fromhi s arm

,and with another of hi s own handkerchiefs

hi s elbows were ti ed loosely behind his back . Thesignal was given

,and wi th the words on his l ips °

’Tis but a momentary pang,i t was over, and the

brave redcoat swung into the ai r,while tears from

friends and foes al ike kindly d immed the sight ofi t from thei r eyes

,and over it al l the trees waved

calmly in the golden autumn sunshine .

In a dwell ing hard by,two fa i r women , wi th their

young eyes dry with horror,and l ips white and

trembl ing,sat clasped in each other’s arms , striving

356 CROSSED SWORDS

to crush down the horrible thoughts of the presentand the keen memories o f the past . Phyll i s

,with

an ache in her heart for the gi fted,handsome young

sold ier in such sore extremity, was fain not to thinkof the Engl i sh home Over the seas w here dwelt hi skindred

,al l unwitt ing of the tid ings so soon to

desolate i t . More bitter were the thoughts Of

Margaret Arnold,as she strove to forget that her

erstwhi le fri end and companion of her mother’sdrawing- room had been betrayed to this awfulthing by the man whose name she bore .When news of the execut ion reached New York

a frenzy Of passion possessed the whole town . Thetroops and people

,with the except ion of Arnold ,

went into mourning,and the sold iers were scarcely

restrained by discipl ine from marching at once towreak vengeance on the Spot where he d ied .

Then all that was seemingly le ft to the disgracedwi fe . and unhappy youn g mother was to return tothe shelter and refuge of her father’ s roo f . TheCommander

,with the chivalric compassion of a

great and kingly soul , treated with the utmost consideration the forlorn wi fe of hi s once trustedfriend and general

,who had but just played to him

the part of the kisser of Gethsemane . One of herhusband ’s aides

, who for his devotion to their chi ldhad been dubbed in the ranks “ the nurse

,

” wasgiven her for escort

, to ride with her to Phi ladelph ia

,whither

,in a carriage

,with her babe , her

attendant and Phyll i s, who refused to desert her ,

she set out as the wi fe of an attainted and pil loriedtra itor

,the people ’s abhorrence of whose black deed

was everywhere apparent on the way . Being com

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358 CROSSED SWORDS

home of a lady who many a time had sat and feastedat the Shippen ’s family board , and who receivedwith Open arms and much lamenting the unfortunateand once sprightly Peggy Shippen . TO divert hermind from the misery of her s ituat ion, her hostess ,with blushes and smiles , confided to her that ColonelBurr

,whose l ively conversation and ready wit had

begui led the embarrassment of the supper table, was,she had reason to hope , soon to Offer himsel f as herbetrothed husband . The host of happy thoughtsst irring in her heart and the glamor Of his presencemade her unaware of the marked contempt withwhich Phyll i s regarded him

,which she could not

wholly conceal under an icy manner,and which she

would fain have hidden .

Ah,

” s ighed the belated wayfarer,may your

heart never be torn ’ twixt love for the man andabhorrence of h is conduct

,as i t i s my own unhappy

fate to be . May children and generations yetunborn never have cause to curse his memory fortreachery to any he has ever called fr iend .

”

Heaven forfend,my dear Peggy .

’Tis strange ,though

,that by an Odd chance the same lettering

should mark their names—an A and a B—albeitreversed . With al l due respect to you , my poor i l lused Peggy

,I trust it i s not an omen that thei r two

names will be ever held in memory as clouded byl ike unworthy deeds .”

For your sake,I truly hope not. I pray you l et

not my misfortunes darken with superstit ious fearsyour dreams of future bl iss . Aaron Burr must be atrue and honest gentlem an

,else he would not have

won regard from such a man as Betty Schuyler’s

WHO SHALL WIN 359

lover,Alexander Hamilton . His talents rank him

wi th the aristocracy of the country,with the Van

Rensselaers,Livingstons

,Morrises or Chews

,and he

comes Of excellent praying stock,his s i re and grand

sire both being scholarly divines . Aaron Burr, too ,

has had wise counse l from my mother, who eversought to be his guide, an swered her guest, wi th adeep—drawn S igh .

These are sweet words coming from your soreheart

,my Peggy,

” said her hostess,embracing her .

I f i t were not too much grace to ask,Colonel

Burr would be glad to be permitted to take a seatin your travel l ing- coach to Philadelph ia

,whither he

must now hasten , having, as he says , already, atthe allurements of love

,remained too long away

from the stern demands of duty .

”

I am truly glad,

” was the reply,that it l ieth

in my power to do favor for any fri end of yours .I f Colonel Burr

,who ever seems ful l of l i fe and

Spirits,can put up with such dul l company

,he i s

welcome to a seat . Thoughts of you could doubtless begu i l e for him a journey even sorrier than thi smost lamentable one upon which I am embarked

,

which he will,peradventure

,in the kindness o f his

heart, endeavor to beguile for your sake .

”

Betimes the next morning the coach stood readyat the door

,and the last stage of the j ourney was

undertaken . The varied feel ings on the part of thetravellers made it d ifficult to maintain unconstrainedconversat ion , the circumstances Of the meeting making such efforts seem forced and necessari ly formal .Each thinking thei r own thoughts

,throughout the

long, slow hours of the day, the carr iage bore them

360 CROSSED SWORDS

along the gently roll ing countryside,until

,as the

sun cast lengthening shadows before them,and the

evening star hung out its s i lver torch , the hill s bythe Delaware

,which as Margaret Shippen she had

so well loved , rose soft against the blue .With sight of them came memories of her happy,

l ight - hearted maidenhood and queenly marriedmonths, and tears fel l hot and fast as the desolateyoung creature trembl ingly gathered her babe closerto her breast in benumbed de spair .It i s truly said that there is nothing in the universe

so l ike a splend id angel as a splendid devi l,for the

gifted son Of the gentle, p ious Esther Edwards wasas sorry and unscrupulous a scoundrel as ever hidfalse heart under velvet coat . Never losing anopportunity of taking advantage of moments of sensibi l ity ; moved by the spell of her beauty and thewitchery of the hour

,and spurred by that pass ion

which ever drove him as by whip Of cords, Burrdrew nearer . Suddenly placing an arm caressinglyaround her

,regardless o f Phyll i s ’ s presence

,and

with scarcely vei led passion,he whispered in a low ,

thri l l ing voi ce, and with a look that h e thoughtmight lure even a vestal from her vowsMistress Shippen , for I wi l l not cal l you by that

other unworthy nam e,spoi l not these lovely eyes

with tears for him , he i s not worth them . I beseech

you to put him from your thoughts . You are youngand passing fair

,and there are others who would

better appreciate your charms . I have long enviedhim these sweet l ips

,

” and unheedi ng her strugglesand low cry, which were drowned in the peevi shwail ing of the frightened infant

,he kissed her

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362 CROSSED SWORDS

shelter was denied her,for

,by order of the counci l

o f Philadelphia,which commanded : That the said

Margaret Arnold depart th is S tate , fourteen daysfrom date hereof

,and do not again return during

the continuance of the present war,”she was Shortly

banished from it .Accordingly she went to j oi n her husband in New

York,where he had taken up his res idence in a fine

house on Broadway, next door to my Lord Cornwall i s . She was rece ived into exile there with muchcordial i ty by the officers of the Royal Army, whohad been famil iar an d welcom e guests in her father ’ shome, as wel l as by the cultured and exclusiveKnickerbocker gentry who st i l l he ld their allegianceto the Crown

,and stood for the King . She

endeavored to be gay as she j o ined the fashionable society that each afternoon sauntered out topromenade under the avenue of l ime- trees whichshaded the square

,home - l ike dwell ings on Broad

way,Wall Street

,and around Bowl ing Green ; or

made vis its in the Dutch - built houses, with thei rpatterned bri cks

,glittering weather - vanes

,stoops

and quaint corbel roofs . She drank Briti sh tea inthe afternoons

,and with the coming Of summer gave

garden parti es and kettle drums among her dogroses and sweet - will iams, as merri ly apparen tly asthe rest . Whatever of hear tache she bore , she hidbravely under a smile

,taking the air in the fashion

able drive to the Battery with as great dignity andstate as any Of the idle crowd in thei r velvets

,laces

and pin - cushion hoops .The blue- and - bufl

'

uni form,

’broidered wi th gold ,of the American army

,with the epaulets hi s ch ief

WHO SHALL WIN ?

had presented him when giving him his sword,

which Arnold wore on his arrival,was doffed for

the scarlet and gold Of the Briti sh , and among thesoci al exquisites , in the ir high—collared coats , ponderons white cravats , pumps and fri lls , he cut asdashing a figure as the best of them . In Fraunce’stavern and Broadway hostel s and coffee houses

,he

gambled to'

the cl ink o f Br it i sh coin , and Over abottl e at pr ivate boards , or in the tap - room ,

the archtra itor drank toasts to the King as lust i ly as thestaunchest Tory among them .

CHAPTER XIX .

THE BI TTE R E ND .

A YEAR later the staid Rebel Capital was afirewith excitement. Crowds thronged the streets

,

every window was fil led with eager faces,and all

eyes were turned to catch the first sight of theContinental army

,which

,after a forced march from

the Hudson,was entering Philadelphia

,l ed by

Washington and Rochambeau . The l eaders,anxious

to prevent reinforcements from reach ing Cornwall i s

,had kept secret thei r purpose of marching

against the Bri t i sh posts at York,the sold iers even

being unaware Of thei r destination un ti l almostwithin sight of the place .In the golden l ight o f the morning sun ,

whichflooded a deep- seated window in the Knox mansion,three women watched anxiously for the head of thecolumn

,Mistress Knox scarce able to restrain her

sel f, so impatient was she to exchange glances with

her loved spouse,who would ride on his Chief’ s right

hand . Therese,quivering with del ight that she was

about to behold the Chevali er de Rochambeau - andthe sold iers from her beloved France , waited restlessly beside Phyll i s

, who was strangely s i l ent withdeep emotion

,knowing that she would soon look

upon the great General,under whom the man she

loved served,and of whom

,too

,She dared to hope

she might perchance catch S ight as he was passing by.

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CROSSED SWORDS

his arm rested on the neck of his war - horse, yet hi scountenance was softened by an expression of gentlebeneficence.

At his left rode Henry Kn ox,who of all in the

army perhaps came nearest to the heart Of VVashington ,

who had no son of his own upon whom to

lavi sh hi s affection .

As they drew near,the welkin rang

,and fair and

tender women,some in tears and some in smiles , at

the sight of the veterans Of so many fights , scatteredblossoms under thei r dusty feet . First came thewar- weary Patriots in thei r worn - out clothing“ soi led with mud

,sta ined with blood and rusted

with storm —which told of the struggles throughwhich they had passed . Over them their poor , plainbattle - flags , rent with shot and grimed w ith smoke ,floated as bravely as d id the waving plumes andlofty standards Of the al l ies

,whose bri l l iant white

s ilk was emblazoned with the golden l i l i es o f theroyal house Of France

,and who were led by

Rochambeau,Lafayette and de Noalles—the Officers

in white and gold,the ranks in the handsome

uniforms o f the troops of King Loui s’ army .

Rochambeau ’s Officers were men of noble b irth,

gay,valorous and fearless

,who

,with their heroic

ideals , rode to battl e and approached an enemy withthe same well - bred courtesy with which they wouldhave mounted guard over thei r young Queen in thepalace of the Tuileri es . With thei r elegant s idearms flashing in the sun

,they were a worthy part

of an army,the lustre of whose splendid deeds

could be traced back for ten hundred years , beyondthe Crusades and beyond Charlemagne

,years in

THE BITTER END 367

which they had gallantly achieved victory, or asgallantly sustained defeat

,on almost every battle

field of Europe . Though descended as they werefrom the proudest and knightl iest chivalry of Chri stendom ,

from generations of cheval iers famous intilt and tourney

,yet not one Of them could sit a

horse l ike the planter of V i rginia, G eorge Wash

ington . Calmly he rode , unmoved by all the honorssurrounding him

,for ne ither the voice of adulation

nor the din of battle could d isturb the king- l ikeequanimity Of hi s deportment . He went throughall with the same gravity and dignity

,deeming hi s

cause as holy a war as ever red - cross knight drewlance for .With eyes that gleamed in a fierce del ight thatthey were about to meet and vanquish the Old - t imeenemy of France

,the all ies

,as they passed

,aroused

a frenzy of patrioti sm,a very passion Of loyalty , in

the bosom of Therese . Her eyes fil l ed with quicktears

,as she cr ied impetuously :Oh

,Phyll is

,my heart goes out to all French

people !” and leaning out

, she waved the white l i l i esin her hand

,crying

, Vive la France !”

The Count de Rochambeau,the courtly old sold ier ,

as he heard his mother tongue fal l from the l ips ofthe fai r girl with the sparkl ing

,flushed face

,

saluted , and doffing his plumed hat to his youngcompatriot , and holding it in hi s right hand , rodeunbonneted past her window .

More than one soldier,as they passed

,looked up

at the ch isel led features and golden hai r of the girlat her s ide, who,

with wet lashes and wi stful eyes,

was scanning the ranks with such dumb anxiety .

368 CROSSED SWORDS

Suddenly,with hands clasped on her bosom ,

Phyll i s saw her brown - haired soldier riding at thehead of his dragoons ; alas ! she thought, her enemiesand her King’ s ! Rai sing his eyes , he saw her,

“ andwith a j oy which would not be restra ined , the bronzeof his cheek flushing red

,he gave her the look and

smile which had won her heart so long ago ; andthen country and king were al ike forgotten in thelove which fil led her soul . Bravely she smil ed back ,waving her kerchi ef gaily

,though her heart seemed

breaking,as with the tramp

,tramp of feet he was

lost in the moving maze O f blue . Then only did thetears fal l hot and fast . S inking down in theshadow

, she wondered with a dull ache of pain howthe sun could shine so mock ingly bright , and the ?

birds s ing with such happy sweetness , when hemight be marching to his death , to those cheerfulst rains of the distant fife and drum . In her heartshe could only cry

,God guard him on the field of

battle !”

Carried away ‘by the patriotic fervor Of the hour,and the spel l of martial a i rs

,the people streamed

through the streets and out into the country beyond ,cleaving the air with shouts and cheers

,and the hope

of l iberty beat and surged through the heart O f thenat ion . From the State House and every publ icbuild ing and house—top flags floated ,

and in everycoffee house and tavern where toasts were drunk , thecry was :

“ Long l ive George Washing ton !”

Yorktown,the Brit i sh post to which the al l ied

armies were proceedi ng,was a smal l vi llage on the

northern side of a long strip of land which ranbetween the James and York rivers , and which at

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376 CROSSED SWORDS

duty . Might not, he asked himself, disaster to

them mean l ikewise disaster to himsel f ? Shouldth i s final charge

,for which such deadly preparat ions

were hourly being made,result in defeat and

humil iation to the army in which her father hadserved , how would she receive one who came to herred - handed from the field

,hi s sword gory with the

blood of her countrymen ? Would not his part incrushing the cause she held dear not harden herheart against him ? Would he not be drummed outOf her love forever, and the b lue - and - buff

,and one

wearing it,be hen ceforth hateful in her eyes ? Such

thoughts were a very hel l of torture ! He remembered that long ago she had said : I wil l not sayyou nay i f i t i s not aga inst my duty ;

” and thedreadful st ruggle imminent “ seemed less bi tter tohim than that which was making a battleground of

hi s heart—the honor Of the man striving to masterthe passion O f the lover—the fight unsuspectedunder the impassive, calm face of the sold ier.Knowing her and knowing himself

,he was con

scious there would be but one course poss ible ; andas the decis ive moment drew nearer h e never for as ingle instant swerved , but told himsel f that hewould rather a thousand times fal l dead in thetrenches , which were creeping so relentlessly towardthe doomed fortress , than w in her with hi s manhoodtarnished by even a thought Of disloyalty or amoment’s shr i nking from his p lain duty . S O withface set as fl int

,he knew to the storming he must

go.

Accordingly, with Knox commanding the arti l leryand Lafayette the l ight in fantry

,the besieging

TIHE BITTER END 37 1

parties brought up their heavy ordnance and otherwise prepared for action . The evening of the s ixthOf October was dark and gloomy, and under itscover trenches were dug

'

and entrenchments thrownup to within some hundred yards of the Brit ishl ines

,and shelter thus Obtained from their guns .

Three days afterward,with several batter ies and

redoubts comp leted , a general d ischarge o f cannonwas begun by the assail ing force

,which was kept

up incessantly wi th red - hot shot and a continuousroar Of d ischarging mortars . Rochambeau opening his batteries upon some Brit i sh ships in theriver

,they were soon wrapped in a sheet of fierce

flame . Day after day the trenches persistentlycrept closer and closer to the Brit i sh works , fromwhich a deadly and brave res i stance was maintained , unti l it was decided to carry the place bystorm . On the ev ening Of the fourteenth ofOctober

,both armies

,French and American , each

anxious to excel the other in intrepidity, marchedunfl inching ly to the assault, Edw ard Vanrosfeldtwe l l up i n front . At a given signal they rusheds imultaneously and with fury to the charge . Overthe abatt i s and pal i sades of a redoubt the bluecoatsleaped so vehemently, that in an incredibly shorttime

,and with but trifl ing loss

,the posit ion was

taken . Rushing forward , the Frenchmen , withthei r old battle - cry of “

Viv e le Ro i upon theirl ips

,which sounded strangely enough among those

fighting against the ir k ing,assai led the Engl i sh

breastworks,and swarmed into the trenches . The

garrison there was stronger, but after an hour’

s

furious fighting,in wh ich both sides deported them

372 CROSSED SWORDS

selves li ke tigers, one hundred of the al l ies lay dead—but the redoubt was taken .

The condition of Cornwa l l i s was then desperate .He soon was compel led to arrive at the intolerableconclusion that the Cont inentals

,backed by the

pow er Of France, were too strong for him . Withthe conv ict ion that evacuat ion was the only coursele ft , he resolved to attempt to cut hi s way throughand form a juncti on with the army in New York .

This was secretly tri ed,and the river at Gloucester

,

about a mi le d istant, reached . Although the retreatwas not yet perceived

,and a portion of the men

succeeded in effect ing a crossing,the very elements

appeared Opposed to i ts success,for a perfect

tornado rushing down made the passage Of thestream fraught with so much peri l that it had to beabandoned .

'A 11 night long the storm beat uponthem

,and before dawn

,by that strange ruli ng that

men cal l chance,

” the unfortunate leader wascompelled to bring back his d iscomfited and disheartened men .

At daybreak a hai l of shot and shell fel l on them ,

fiercer than any preceding it, from which it wasp lain there was no escape . Accordingly, beforemid - day there came forth a flag to Washington ,requesting that hosti li t ies be suspended for twen tyfour hours

,when terms Of surrender might be

negotiated .

Washington,with his eye on the sea, whence at

any moment a British fleet might appear to hisenemy’s assi stance

,st ipulated that the t ime be re

str icted to two hours instead of twenty- four .Cornwal l i s was obl iged to submit, and at an

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374 CROSSED SWORDS

few of the soldiers nea rest attempted to raise acheer

,but he who has been called

“‘The greatest of

good men and the best of great men ,” turni ng to

them w ith stem r ebuke in hi s eye,said

,Peace—let

posteri ty cheer for us !”

The royal troops were then conducted to a fieldfor the laying down of their arms

,and the man who

for over six years had fought, sacrificed and starv ed ,waiting for that hour

,said , turn ing to Vanrosfeldt

and Knox , who, with Alexander Ham i lton, had beenby hi s s ide throughout the trying ceremonial :“ The work is done !” and he handed back Cornwall i s ’ sword

, to be returned to the Earl , who atthat moment was po ignantly real iz ing that, despitethe years o f val iant struggle and the brave bloodthat had been shed , those fai r Colonial lands wereforever lost to his king and country .

As the momentous words fel l from his General’sl ips

, Vanrosfeldt la id hi s hand on the hi lt Of thesword at his s ide

,knowing that at last the ‘blade

was sheathed in peace ; that no more crossingswords with England , he might once aga in cravethe boon which was of greater worth and value inhis eyes than even that dearly- won ,

blood - boughtvictoryThe del ivery of the colors of the regi mentsimmediately fol lowed ; and then and there theflower Of the Briti sh army

,and some nine hundred

sai lors,with re luctance and pain wel l - nigh unbear

able,la id down their arms and gave up their

accoutrements ; for thus i t was wri t in God’s wi se

purposes,which cannot err

,and which it were futi le

to str ive against,that instead of the flag of England

THE BITTER END 375

—the flag of thei r !fathers—there should float overthose colonies the one enwrought from the stripesof advers ity and the stars Of hope

,and borrowed

from the escutcheon of Washington’ s Engl i sh forefathers .And then how bitter the ruth of it al l ! How

terribl e the t idings as they spread from camp andcourt—from palace to cottage—through the lengthand breadth of England ! America had won !All over the world men ’ s minds were so filled

with wonder and admirat ion at the achievements ofthe Potomac planter

,that soon upon the high seas

sails were set to ca rry friendly salutations fromkings and princes in thei r d i stant rea lms ; and thegreeting from Frieder ich der Grosse O f Prussia,which ran

,From the oldest General in Europe, to

the greatest General in the world .

”

CHAPTER XX .

! OY-BE L L S AND BONFIR E S .

TH E darkness of night lay over Philadelphia, andthe dawn breeze was beginning to sti r

,when a man

on horseback rode in hot haste down the streets,the

clatter of the animal ’s hoofs awakening the sleepersin the darkened houses along his way . Phyll is wassuddenly roused from slumber by the figure of

Therese in her night - rai l rushing affrighted i nto herchamber

,and exclaiming in a terrified voice :

A courier,in breathless haste , has but just

ridden by ! His errand must be urgent at such at ime as this ! He seems to wear the blue o f thearmy

,and hark ! Phyll i s, to the cry of the watchman .

He i s call ing something more than the number ofthe hour of nig ht ! Some news from the field mustsurely have come . He speaks, I think , in brokenGerman

,in words I cannot get the meaning of. I

fear i t i s to alarm the city—that the Generals aredefeated—and soon the enemy wi ll be upon us .Hearken

,I pray you, for I know not his tongue . ”

Throwing open the window, and leaning out to

catch the next call , Phyl l i s l i stened i n the ch i ll night,in that hour that tests the courage most, and she

heard the watchman cry :

Basht dree O’clock—und Cornvalli sh ish

dakendt?’

Then knowing that the cause for which her lover

376

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378 CROSSED SWORDS

sorrow - laden hours , that those under the sod andthe dew “ they would only again in the l ight ofeternity meet . ” In the cit ies the people streamed outinto the streets and thronged the churches to s ingpsalms of praise and thanksgiving. Students inCambridge, New Haven and all the college townsthrew down thei r books and marched forth singingtriumphal songs

,and on every hil l and vil lage green

from Lexington to Charleston bonfires blazed . Onthe green peaks of New Hampshire and in the mountain gorges of Vermont, burning pine logs l ightedup the overhanging skies, and in a joyful glow alongthe beaches

,from Eastport to St . Augustine, beacon

fires told those far out at sea that the enemy wasvanquished .

Among the vessels which some ti me after left theshores of America E ng landward was the Vulture,in which sai led Lord Cornwal l i s . The man standingon the deck beside him was Benedict Arnold

,

gloomily watching his native land fade from hiss ight, despised by both armies , and lost forev er tohis own respect . He had sacrificed honor

,princip le ,

fri ends,peace of mind and the one coat he could

with honesty wear, only to be at last on the los ings ide . On going on board he had offered his handin greet ing to the captain

,but Bas i l Temp le

,remem

bering André,and loathing d ishonor

,refused to

take the traitor’ s proffered hand,even though he

wore the red coat of the British .

In the gloom of defeat the prisoners of war werebrought into the capital , to await even ts as arrangedby the terms of capitulation . As they marcheddej ectedly

.

to the quarters a ssigned them,with eyes

! OY - BELLS AND BONFIRES 379

fil l ed with tears of commiseration for their m isfortunes

,Phyll i s and The

’

rese,with arms entwined,

again looked into the street . They saw a beatenarmy

,without arms Or colors , tramping heavily

past ! At the head Of a column rode one with a looksuch as the Roman Valerian may have worn whenforced to bow hi s imperial neck that his conqueror,Sapor the Pers ian , might step upon i t to mount hi shorse . His defiant and unbroken mi en fastened thei rattent ion, when suddenly, with eyes fixed upon theunhappy wearer of the battl e - worn red coat, Therese,clasping Phyll i s convulsively

,shr ieked :

“M on D ieu

,i t i s Raoul St . Leger !”

The hysterical cry reached the ranks below , anda dark

,handsome man

,in the uni form of a Briga

d ier- General,looked up . Swaying in his saddle ,

i t was with difficulty that he kept his seat ; but therecognition was mutual , and Raoul St . Leger forgotthe misery o f loss and the bitterness of defeat

,for

in that bri l l iantly beauti ful face looking down uponhim , with the amber l ights in the dark eyes , he hadfoun d again the only love of h is l i fe .Mistress Knox at once engaged her kind Offices

to bring them together. Her fondness for roman cewas always captured by a love tale , She hersel f having refused the scapegrace son Of S ir Wil l iam Pep

persell to wed the cho ice o f her heart , Henry Knox ,the obscure booksel ler o f Boston . Accordingly

,

although she had ever forbidden a redcoat to crossher threshold

,not many hours had elapsed ere St .

Leger appeared at her door .As Therese stood before h im in a filmy musl ingown of pink, with the dainty snares o f riband and

386 CROSSED SWORDS

lace of other days, her eyes fil led with an irresistiblesoftn ess , he was well nigh overcome by the wealthof his suddenly recovered happiness . Clasping herhands

,his senses spellbound by her beauty, he cried

“An

’ ye did not,as was falsely told me

,fly with a

soldier,one Vanrosfeldt

Nay,Raoul , Colonel Vanrosfeldt i s the

betrothed of Phyl l is Davenant,whom ye doubtless

remember .”

Why, my Therese, did ye leave no trace behind ?

Ah ! the tortures o f doubt and misery I have sufferedthese wretched months and years which one wordcould have d ispel led !”

Unwill ing to meet hi s eyes, her lashes fel l , andstrok ing the bow - knot on her bosom

,her cheeks as

red as the scarlet of his coat, she said, with a pretty

hes itation“ Listen

,Raoul, I wi ll explain, and looking up

innocently, as she regained her composure , sherelated why she had thus done and what ‘had takenplace

,apparently without diss imulation

,and with

the capti vating graces he knew and loved so well ,saying :It was the eve of battle . In the convent were

quartered the Am erican soldiers,and at any hour

we knew we might be at their mercy . One of them,

thinking me to be one of the S isters,tempted me to

fly with him on the fal l of the city . I determined toescape from his persecution . Hearing that Leon wasabout to be sent to France on a secret missi on forthe Church

,to save myself , knowing how l ike we are,

I resolved to act h is part . In the barracks in the

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382 CROSSED SWORDS

and gallantry . So hold yoursel f in readiness—a fewmore hours—when the cloi sters are wrapped inslumber and you shal l welcome your ardent and1mpat1ent lover, AA RON BURR .

As he finished read ing,not doubting her veri ty,

he looked into her face with every trace of susp icionbanished from his own ,

saying tenderly :“Ah ! my dearest one

,I am torn with remorse that

when you were fleeing from this man, I almost cameto doubt your truth

,but thi s Aaron Burr shal l

answer to me, i f we e’er meet face to face !”

“ Nay,Raoul

,I entreat you,

prove your love forme by seeking him not

,for

’ t i s my wish . Have Inot seen blood enough in my short l i fe

,even as the

Indian seer- woman foretold I should ? Instead,

carry me hence, far from this land . We wi ll go tothe one most dear to us , sunny, beauti ful France,and there find joy and gladness , and forget the b ittermemories of thi s .”

Mistaking the hot shame whi ch dyed her cheeksat her own dupl icity, for pl easure at the thought ofthat for which she pleaded so sweetly

,he caught her

to his hea rt,and ki ss ing her red l ips in a pass ion Of

joy at his unexpected and overpowering happiness ,and thinking of the days and years to come, hepromised rapturouslyThat or aught else within my power to grant

shal l be as you will,my love , my queen ! Soon as

my fai r br ide ye Shal l dwell in peace and happy loveamong the sun - kissed vineyards of the St . Legerdomains of our s i res !”

Ere long a frigate,with the colors of the v ic

JOY- BELLS AND BONFIRES 383

tor ious colon i es at its masthead , was flying to Francewith the tidings of the conquest of her arms 1 11

Ameri ca, and on deck was the Cheval i er de S t . Legerand his dark- eyed bride . After thirty days of racingwith wind and weather it was with beating heartthat Therese St . Leger watched the whi te cl iffs ofthe land o f her forefathers ri se out Of the distanthorizon far over the blue sea.

The gallant ship had no sooner t ied up at the seawall Of Boulogn e than

,swift as the fastest couriers

could carry i t, the word went out, and soon the land ,from Calais to Marsei lles , was ringing with shoutsof triumph . When , as the Marquise de St . Leger,by her husband

’s s ide in the great Cathedral of NotreDame in the Pari s she had longed to behold , Thereseheard choirs Of priests in rich vestments chantingthe Te Deum L audamus

,her heart swelled with pride

and exultation . As she saw in the royal pew theidol o f her girlhood

,Marie Antoinette

,Queen of

France , and Ki ng Louis, surrounded by the cheval i ers and noble dames o f the court , her thoughts flewback to the picture o f the beauti ful comtesse in thesalon of the Canadian chateau

,and whose fortunes

she once had envied ; and looking down at her magn ificent robe and gems

, she fel t proudly that the daywas the crowning of her l i felong ambition .

NO pang of regret for the doubl e part She hadplayed to those who loved her best , marred thesupreme sat is faction -Of that triumphal hour ! Therecame no thought Of remorse that she had forcedher brother to sacrifice h i s love and l i fe - happiness toaccompl ish her own aims and purposes ! Well wasit for her on that sunl i t day that nothing presaged

CROSSED SWORDS

another,a dark one

,scarce ten years later

,when

shrieking she would be dragged from the samecreaking turnbr i l that had borne her Queen to thegory guillotine . There was no foreshadowing thatin that dreary orgy of blood a priest , gaunt and wildeyed

,i n his blood - stained cassock , would rush from

the frenz ied crowd to her s ide , and will ing once moreto suffer for her, Offer to d ie in her stead as shewild ly shrieked : Save me Leon , save me !

” but bepower less to take her place as the knife fell on theneck of Therese

,Marquise de St . Leger .

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386 CROSSED SWORDS

broad acres stretching from the green downs to thesea were his patrimony . A S he sat by the hearthside

,with hi s head leaning on his hand , his heart

ached with the bitter pain of haunting memories,which made his l i fe stretching out before him seemas dreary as the rainy Apri l night . The mist blew upwhite from the ocean

,the sound of the waves rush

ing on the rocks mingl ing with the dul l patter Ofthe rain on the easements

,and the s ighing of the

wind through the trees and wet ivy on the wal ls .The melancholy hoot of the ow l seemed but the echoof hi s sol i tude in the si lence of the rambl ing

,empty

house. He thought bitterly that the great hall s andstately rooms would never hear the sound of thefootsteps O f the gen tle Engl ish girl he loved so well ;that the garden paths would never r ing with the gaylaughter and young voices of merry chi ldren—hischi ldren and hers ; that no lul labies would ever besung for them in his own Old nursery - chamber

,

where hi s mother ’s remembered voice so oft hadhushed and soothed him to sleep i n the soft

,grey

Engl ish tw i l ight long ago ; and he groaned aloud ,God help me !”

On that same evening,as the sun was setting over

American woods and vall eys,a goodly and bril l iant

company was gathered in the drawing—room of theKnox homestead

,in the capital of the new - born

nation . A soft glow of candlel ight fil led the statelysimpl i ci ty of the white and gold paneled room, andfel l upon the faces of brave men and gentle women .

The hearth,in the warmth Of the unusually early

spring, no longer aglow with the blaze of the winterfire

,was transformed into a green altar to Hymen,

MARRIAGE BELLS 387

the perfumed incense from the censers of a bank ofwhite blossoms fil l ing the air . In front of i t , in l inenbands and surpl ice

,with prayer- book open at the

marriage ri tual,stood the venerable B ishop White ,

as holy a man as ever wore a gown . His words ofgodly cheer and prayers to the God of battles hadbeen as an anchor o f hope in many a storm - wrackedhour on the turbulent seas o f past confl ict .Before him was a soldier in the ful l regimentals of

a Colonel of the army of the young Republ ic . Abovehi s head was draped the flag with its thirteen starsand stripes

,for which he had well and nobly fought .

His blue eyes,and brown

,unpowdered hai r made

him a marked figure even among the gallant menassembled . A moment’ s expectant hush

,in which

not a fan waved , not a gown rustled , and there wasa gl immer of flowing si lken garments— a foot fallsoft as a moonbeam

,and Phyll i s stood bes ide him .

In a s imple white satin frock,with pearl s a- gl isten

around her slender throat,her cheeks flushed pink

and her eyes bright with the wondrous l ight of happylove and a heart at peace

,she was gracious and

whol ly adorable in the flawless lovel iness of fullwomanhood .

Beside the d ivine stood President Washington ,grave and calm

,in black velvet

,pearl - colored satin

and wig ; and by his s ide, in del icate lace kerchi efand cap

,and gown of lavender brocade

,stood Mi s

tress Martha,his wife . On their right was Alex

ander Hamilton,and by hi s s ide hi s bride Of a few

weeks,l ittle Betsy Schuyler . Her eyes were as black

as the velvet of the General ’ s body - coat, and’twas

wel l that,bes ide hi s tal l form

,the extremely high

388 CROSSED SWORDS

heel s of her dainty sl ippers added an inch or two toher five feet two i nches in height . Her furbelowedpetticoat of yellow sat in seemed to dim the lustre ofthe hundred candles shining throughout the rooms

,

al though its amber gleam was softened by the fal lof filmy lace

,which had been bought in Flanders for

the wedding gown of her great—grandmother VanRensselaer . Her husband wore a suit of puce - coloredvelvet

,close fitting

,exquis itely cut and trimmed wi th

a profusion of fine lace . Extreme elegance of att iresat with a pecul iar fitness upon Alexander Hamilton

,

with his sensit ive , patrician face, ease of bearingand charming

,high - bred manner ; his figure

,though

del icately fashioned,be ing full of d ignity and repose .

Near to them ,with placid countenance and stil l

comely figure,stood Mistress Phil l ip Schuyler

, who,

with the General,her husband

,had come by easy

stages from Albany.

Mistress Knox,standing a l ittle behind them

,was

almost as happy - looking as the girl on whose goldenhai r she had fastened the sweet - scented orangeblossoms a half—hour before . They had required so

much care and skil l in the adj usting that she did nothear Anne Temple

,with a rosy flush

,whisper to the

bride - electWhen I said your brown - haired warrior had

caught my fancy,

’ twas but in pique, because I

thought the man to whom I had given my heartunasked cared naught for me, but on ly yester- evenhe plead-cd his suit so humbly I know he never couldhave guessed my heart has long been only his . S o

kiss me and give me j oy,for there are no happier

maidens than we two in al l the colonies .”

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39 0 CROSSED SWORDS

her husband to his home . The company of guestsand time—tested fr iends had gathered in the hall

,and

around the wall s circled an ebony background Of theShining black faces o f the servants

, the men star ingin wide - eyed del ight at “ Young M i st’ i s,

” and theyounger negresses, with a show of white teeth , s impering in an excitement which threatened at anymoment to break the bonds of str ict decorum .

Leaning on her husband ’ s arm she went out intothe star—studded night , the air soft with the scent ofbursting buds and coming summer

,her path strewn

white with blossoms . Down it she passed under thecrossed swords of his gallant troop

,which l ined the

way,the young moon turning the true blades

,which

had been so often red with blood , into an arch Of

l ight above her head . At the gate, ready for theirservice , stood Mistress Washington

’ s state—chariot,

drawn by four horses, the body - servants from MountVernon in the red and grey of the Washingtonl ivery. The horses were gay with white favors

,the

long streamers from the whip in no wise be ingallowed to endanger the dignity of the sable coachman by so much as a smi le . As Phyll i smounted thethree steps by which the blue - cushioned seats werereached , a tiny

'

embroi dered sl ipper , which only AnneTemple could have worn

,flew out into the dusk

,and

catching on one o f the great l eathern straps on whichthe body of the coach was hung

,nestled there and

went, l ike the wearer’ s sweetest wishes

,with them .

A crack Of the beribboned whip,a lurch of the

coach , and to those in the dazzl ing l ight of the doorway, the soft, pearly mist from the river en foldedthem , thei r good

- bye coming back with the hush - song

MARRIAGE BELLS 39 1

of a thrush in the d im retreat o f the magnol ias andthe faint notes Of drowsy robins in the fringingwoods .Gathering her in his arms

,the s ilver horn Of the

moon giving her an almost unearthly beauty,her

husband whispered in an ecstasy of happiness,in a

tenderness untel labl eMy wi fe at last !”