nd Gabrielle, who had not been informed of the danger, caught a
glimpse of the picture of the Archangel Gabriel. All of the pictures
and pieces of sculpture were then removed to a little hut in the
orchard near the stables, built in the side of a hillock, half under
ground, and quite overgrown by vines; and when both pictures and the
precious books were safely out of the house Aunt Mary felt that she
could breathe. By that time Clark had returned from Sing Sing, where
he had purchased a large amount of gunpowder by Aunt Mary's direction.
This he arranged in a train from the house to a distant point, and the
preparations were then completed. When the rioters should come Aunt
Mary was to speak to them from the balcony and warn them to go away,
and in the meantime Mr. Quinby and Clark were to take the children out
of the house by the back window, which was but a step to the top of a
low woodshed, from which they could easily get to the ground. Then,
while the rioters were storming the barricaded doors, Aunt Mary was to
make her escape, and when she and the children were at a safe distance
a match was to be applied to the gunpowder, blowing up alike house and
rioters.

Mr. Quinby, being a Quaker, had looked on reluctantly while the mine
was being laid, and when he had done all he could to help Aunt Mary, he
returned to the tavern to see the state of affairs there. He found the
mob still drinking, and uttering horrible threats against the family.
His conscience then obliged him to give the wretches a hint of the doom
that awaited them, ending with these words:

"Heed my warning, my brethren; Horace Greeley is a peace man, but Mary
Greeley _will_ fight to the last!"

After dark, the rioters came to the gates and howled, and uttered
threats, but dared not approach very close to the fortress armed by a
sick woman and two children; and when weary of exercising their lungs
went peacefully away. Meantime, Aunt Mary, being fatigued by the
exertions of the day, laid down, Ida said, when everything was in
readiness to meet the rioters, and slept peacefully till morning.

CHAPTER XII.

Pen Portraits--Lela--Majoli--Guerrabella and Celina--Their
Characteristics.

_July 8_.

While looking over a box of old letters and newspapers this morning I
came across a little sketch descriptive of our quartette, written last
winter for a New York journal. This sketch, or "Pen Portraits," as it
was styled, veils our identity u