I take God to witness that I regretted
the necessity."

"The regret," answered the other, "will doubtless, in the sight of the
Power you invoke, justify the performance. Well, the nine days' wonder
of the letter is long over! A man in public life cannot live sixty years
without suffering and forgiving many a similar stab. The letter was in
February. Afterwards--"

"I ceased to write to you. Through all the years in which I had written,
we had been in perfect accord. Now I saw the rift between us, and that
it would widen, and I threw no futile bridges."

"You are frank. I have indeed letters from you, written in this
room"--There was upon the table an orderly litter of books and papers.
From a packet of the latter Jefferson drew a letter, unfolded it, and,
stretching out his long arm, laid it on the table before his visitor.
"There is one," he said, "written not three years ago, on the evening of
the day when you were elected to the General Assembly. I shall ask you
to do me the favour to read it through."

Rand took the letter and ran his dark eye down the sheets. As he read,
the blood stained his cheek, brow, and throat, and presently, with a
violent movement, he rose and, crossing the room to a window, stood
there with his face to the night. The clock had ticked three minutes
before he turned and, coming back to the table, dropped the letter upon
its polished surface. "You have your revenge," he said. "Yes, I was like
that--and less than three years ago. I remember that night very well,
and had a spirit whispered to me then that this night would come, I
would have told the spirit that he lied! And it has come. Let us pass to
the next count in the indictment."

"The Albemarle Resolutions--"

"I carried them."

"I wished them carried, but I should rather have seen them lost than
that in your speech--a speech that resounded far and wide--you should
have put the face you did upon matters! You knew my sentiments and
convictions; until I read that speech, I thought they were your own. The
Albemarle Resolutions! I have heard it said that your zeal for the
Albemarle Resolutions was largely fanned by the fact that your personal
enemy was chief among your opponents!"

"May I ask who said that?"

"You may ask, but I shall not answer. We are now at late February."

"The Assembly adjourned. I returned to Albemarle."

"You took first a journey to Philadelphia."

"Yes. Is there treason in that?"

"That," said Jeffe