ce.

"The 'American Fabius', I suppose, is still watching General Clinton,"
Peggy continued.

"He has thrown a cordon about him at New York. With a sufficient force
he might take him."

"Never! The Americans never were a match for His Majesty's well-trained
troops. The longer the struggle endures the sooner this will be
learned."

"Time is with us, dear. The mother country knows this."

She looked at him. It was astonishing to her that he could be so
transparent and so unaware of it. Really he was not clever.

"Why do you say that?" she asked. "Every day our lot grows worse. The
troops perish from misery; they are badly armed; scarcely clothed; they
need bread and many of them are without arms. Our lands lie fallow. The
education of a generation has been neglected, a loss that can never be
repaired. Our youths have been dragged by the thousands from their
occupations and harvested by the war; and those who return have lost
their vigor or have been mutilated for life."

"You are partly right," he mused. "America lost the opportunity for
reconciliation immediately after my victory at Saratoga. Since then, as
you say, the land has become a waste of widows, beggars and orphans.
Then came the French Alliance, a sacrifice of the great interests, as
well as the religion of this country to the biased views of a proud,
ancient, crafty and priest-ridden nation. I always thought this a
defensive war until the French joined in the combination. Now I look
with disfavor upon this peril to our dominion, this enemy of our faith."

Peggy became interested immediately. She sat straight up in her chair.

"You never spoke these thoughts to me before!" she exclaimed.

"I feared it. You are a Tory, at least at heart. And I knew that you
would only encourage me in my manner of thought. God knows, I am unable
to decide between my perplexities."

"You know how General Monk decided?"

"My God! He was a traitor!"

"He restored Charles," insisted Peggy.

"And sold his soul."

"For the Duchy of Albemarle."

"Good God! girl, don't talk thoughts like that, I--I---- He has endured
universal execration. It was an act of perfidy." He scowled fiercely. He
was in a rage.

Peggy smiled. She did not press the subject, but allowed it to drop.

"My! How dark it has become!" she exclaimed.

She struck a light and touched the wicks of the candles.

III

Dizzy was the eminence to which General Arnold and his girl bride
ascended! On