ichord and was playing when the Colonel
re-entered, saying that his Excellency's coach would be here almost
immediately, and asking leave to retire to his apartment, to put himself
in a fit condition to appear before her ladyship's company. As the widow
was conducting Mr. Washington to his chamber, George gave way to a fit of
wrath, ending in an explanation to his astonished brother of the reason
of it, and telling him of Mrs. Mountain's suspicions concerning the
Colonel's attitude towards their mother, which he confirmed by showing
Harry the letter of Colonel Washington's which Mrs. Mountain had found
and preserved.

But to go back to Madame Esmond's feast for his Excellency; all the birds
of the Virginia air, and all the fish of the sea in season, and all the
most famous dishes for which Madame Esmond was famous, and the best wine
which her cellar boasted, were laid on the little widow's board to feed
her distinguished guest and the other gentlemen who accompanied him. The
kind mistress of Castlewood looked so gay and handsome and spoke with
such cheerfulness and courage to all her company that the few ladies who
were present could not but congratulate Madame Esmond upon the elegance
of the feast and upon her manner of presiding at it. But they were
scarcely in the drawing-room, when her artificial courage failed her, and
she burst into tears, exclaiming, "Ah, it may be an honour to have Mr.
Braddock in my house, but he comes to take one of my sons away from me.
Who knows whether my boy will return, or how? I dreamed of him last night
as wounded, with blood streaming from his side."

Meanwhile Mr. Washington was pondering deeply upon George's peculiar
behaviour towards him. The tone of freedom and almost impertinence which
young George had adopted of late towards Mr. Washington had very deeply
vexed and annoyed that gentleman. There was scarce half a dozen years'
difference of age between him and the Castlewood twins; but Mr.
Washington had always been remarked for a discretion and sobriety much
beyond his time of life, whilst the boys of Castlewood seemed younger
than theirs. They had always been till now under their mother's anxious
tutelage, and had looked up to their neighbour of Mount Vernon as their
guide, director, friend, as, indeed, almost everybody seemed to do who
came in contact with the simple and upright young man. Himself of the
most scrupulous gravity and good-breeding, in his communication with
other