eral minutes, as if trying to decide upon some definite course of
action in regard to it. At length he arose and limped to the desk, and,
drawing out from its small drawer several sheets of paper, began his
reply.

But he did not conclude it. Hearing footfalls in the hallway, he hastily
folded the several papers, Anderson's letter included, and stuck them
into his breast pocket. He sat motionless, with the pen poised in his
hand, as Peggy entered.

III

"You here?" she asked.

He did not reply, nor make any movement.

"Another resignation? or applying for a new command?"

He now turned full about and faced her.

"No. I was just thinking."

"Of what?"

She stood before him, her arms akimbo.

"Of many things. First of all we must leave here."

"When?"

"I don't know."

"Well then, where?"

"To New York."

"Do you mean it?"

Now she sat down, pulling a chair near to him in order that she might
converse the more readily.

"I am thinking of writing for a new command in the army."

He thought best not to tell her of his original purpose in writing, nor
of the letter which he had received from Anderson. Whatever foul schemes
he may have concocted, he did not desire to acquaint her with their full
nature. Enough for her to know that he intended to defect without her
being a party to the plot.

"Did I interrupt you? Pardon me!" she made as if to go.

"Stay. That can wait. You were right. They were against me."

"I felt it all the time. You know yourself how they despise you."

"But I never thought----"

"What?" was the interruption. "You never thought? You did, but you were
not man enough to realize it. Reed would stop at nothing, and if the
colonists gain complete independence, the Catholic population will give
you no peace. That you already know. You have persecuted them."

"What are they? A bare twenty or twenty-five thousand out of a
population of, let us say, three million."

"No matter. They will grow strong after the war. Unfortunately they have
stuck true to the cause."

"Bah! I despise them. It is the others, the Congress, Lincoln, Gates,
Lee, Wayne. They will acquire the honors. Washington will be king."

"And you?"

"I'm going to change my post."

She smiled complacently, and folded her arms.

"Under Washington?"

She knew better, but she made no attempt to conceal her feigned
simplicity.

He looked at her without comment.

Whether he shrunk from unfolding to her the si