y in his treatment there of Walter Butler.

One by one all spoke to Mr. Butler; laughter among us broke out as wine
was served and compliments exchanged.

"The hardest lesson man is born to is that lesson which teaches him to
await the dressing of his lady," said De Lancey.

"Aye, and await it, too, without impatience!" said Captain Harkness.

"And in perfect good-humor," echoed De Lancey gravely. O'Neil sat down
at the piano and played "The World Turned Upside-Down," all drifting
into the singing, voice after voice; and the beauty of Walter Butler's
voice struck all, so that presently, one by one, we fell silent, and he
alone carried the quaint old melody to its end.

"I have a guitar hereabouts," blurted out Sir Peter, motioning a
servant.

The instrument was brought, and Walter Butler received it without false
modesty or wearying protestation, and, touching it dreamily, he sang:

"Ninon! Ninon! Que fais-tu de la vie?
L'heure s'enfuit, le jour succede au jour,
Rose, ce soir--demain fletrie
Comment vis-tu, toi qui n'as pas d'amour?

* * *

Ouvrez-vous, jeunes fleurs
Si la mort vous enleve,
La vie est un sommeil, l'amour en est le reve!"

Sad and sweet the song faded, lingering like perfume, as the deep
concord of the strings died out. All were moved. We pressed him to sing
more, and he sang what we desired in perfect taste and with a
simplicity that fascinated all.

I, too, stood motionless under the spell, yet struggling to think of
what I had heard of the nearness of his Excellency to New York, and how
I might get word to him at once concerning the Oneidas' danger and the
proposed attempt upon the frontier granaries. The ladies had as yet
given no sign of readiness; all present, even Sir Henry, stood within a
circle around Walter Butler. So I stepped quietly into the hallway and
hastened up the stairs to my chamber, which I locked first, then seized
paper and quill and fell to scribbling:

"TO HIS EXCELLENCY, GEN'L WASHINGTON:

"_Sir_--I regret to report that, through thoughtlessness and
inadvertence, I have made a personal enemy of Captain Walter Butler
of the Rangers, who is now here on a mission to enlist the aid of
Sir Henry Clinton in a new attempt on the frontier. His purpose in
this enterprise is to ruin our granaries, punish the Oneidas
friendly to us, and, if aided from below, seize Albany, or at least