id so, and the king's word must be obeyed.

If any of you had lived in Connecticut in those days I know how you
would have felt. The charter gave the people a great deal of liberty,
and they did not wish to part with it. I know that you and I would have
felt the same way. But what could they do? If they did not give it up
peacefully, Governor Andros might come again with soldiers and take it
from them by force. So the lawmakers and officials were in a great fret
about what they should do.

They asked Governor Andros to come to the State-house and talk over the
matter. Some of them fancied they could get him to leave them their
charter, though they might have known better. There they sat--the
governor in the lofty chair of state, the others seated in a half circle
before him. There was a broad table between them, and on this lay the
great parchment of the charter. Some of those present did a great deal
of talking. They told how good King Charles had given them the charter,
and how happy they had been under it, and how loyal they were to good
King James, and they begged Governor Andros not to take it from them.
But they might as well have talked to the walls. He had his orders from
the king and was one of the men who do just what they are told.

While the talk was going on a strange thing happened. It was night, and
the room was lit up with a few tallow candles. Of course you know that
these were the best lights people had at that time; gas or the electric
light had never been heard of. And it was before the time of matches.
The only way to make a light in those days was by the use of the flint
and steel, which was a very slow method indeed.

Suddenly, while one of the Hartford men was talking and the governor was
looking at him in a tired sort of way, all the lights in the room went
out, and the room was in deep darkness. Everybody jumped up from their
chairs and there was no end of bustle and confusion, and likely enough
some pretty hard words were said. They had to hunt in the dark for the
flint and steel; and then there came snapping of steel on flint, and
falling of sparks on tinder, so that it was some time before the candles
were lit again.

When this was done the governor opened his eyes very wide, for the table
was empty, the charter was gone. I fancy he swore a good deal when he
saw that. In those days even the highest people were given to swearing.
But no matter how much he swore, he could not with hard wor