ons. If they can be answered
to your satisfaction we shall accept his overtures. On the other hand
let us dispense once and for all with this nefarious business and
frustrate this insidious conspiracy so that we may renew our energies
for the task before us which alone matters--the task of overcoming the
enemy.

"First! Who has financed the organization, equipment, transportation of
this regiment of Roman Catholic Volunteers?

"Second: From what source or sources originated the various methods of
blackmail?

"Third: Who first suggested the cooperation of General Arnold?

"Fourth: What pressure was brought to bear in the obtaining of the
passport for the vessel to clear port?"

III

But there was no Anderson to give answer. It was found that he, together
with Colonel Clifton and several members of the party, had disappeared
from the room. No one had remembered seeing them take their departure,
yet it was observed that they had left the platform in the course of
Stephen's speech to take seats on the further side of the hall, near to
the door. This might have opened and closed several times during
Stephen's speech, and, more especially, at the time when they had
crowded the aisles near the close of the address, and little or no
attention would have been paid to it. Very likely Anderson had taken
advantage of such an opportunity to make an escape.

It was a very different room now. What had been a state of remarkable
quiet with every man in his seat, with the conversation hardly above the
tone of a whisper, with the uniform tranquillity disturbed solely by the
remarks of the two speakers, was now giving way to a precipitous uproar
which approached a riot. Men surged about one another and about Stephen
in an endeavor to learn the details of the plot. Groups separated
themselves from other equally detached groups, all absorbed, however, in
the same topic. Voices, formerly hushed, now became vociferous. The
walls reverberated with the tumultuous confusion.

"What dupes!" one was remarking to his neighbor. "How easily were we led
by his smooth talk!"

"We were misguided in our motives of allegiance. We might have sensed a
trick of the enemy," was the reply.

"Let us win the war, first," shouted a third.

"Aye! Freedom first; then religious liberty."

"Who is he?" another asked. "It cannot be Cadwalader."

"No," answered the neighbor. "This was prearranged. He borrowed
Cadwalader's card to come here."

"I al