she began. "Do you recall the night you asked me to be of some
service to you?"

"Perfectly."

"I have thought over that subject long and often. I wondered wherein
that service could lie. During the night of Peggy's affair it dawned
upon me that this stranger to whom I was presented, might be more artful
than honest. I decided to form his acquaintance so that I might learn
his identity, together with his mission in the city. I cherished the
ambition of drawing certain information from him; and this I felt could
be accomplished only by an assumed intimacy with him."

Stephen stopped suddenly. His whole person was tense and magnetic as he
stared at her.

"Marjorie!" he exclaimed. "Do you mean it?"

"Truly. I read his character from the first. His critical attitude
displeased me. But I had to pretend. I had to."

"Please! Please forgive me." He turned and seized suddenly both her
hands. "I thought,--I thought,--I cannot say it. Won't you forgive me?"

Her eyes dropped. She freed her hands.

"Then I tricked you as well," she exclaimed with a laugh.

"And you mean it? I am made very happy today, happier than words can
express. What loyalty! You have been helping me all the time and I
never knew it. Why did you not tell me this before?"

"You never gave me leave. I wanted to talk to you so much, and you
seemed to forbid me.... I prayed for an opportunity, and none came."

"I am very sorry."

"Anderson interested me only in this,--he came into our society for a
very definite purpose, the nature of which I was most desirous of
learning. I know now that he is not of our faith, although he pretends
to be. He is not of French extraction, yet he would lead one to assume
that he was. He is a British officer and actively engaged in the service
of the enemy. At present the recruiting of the proposed regiment of
Catholic Volunteers for service with the enemy is his immediate work. He
hopes to find many displeased and disloyal members of our kind. Them he
would incorporate into a company of deserters."

"You have learned that from him?"

"Aye! And more. General Arnold has been initiated into the scheme. I do
not know what to think except that he has yielded to some influence. His
antipathy toward us would require none, nevertheless I feel that some
undue pressure has been brought to bear upon him."

"Anderson?" he asked.

"I do not know. At any rate he will bear watching. I think he is about
to ask for a more importa