me when we
arose from the table.

"Then I had an hour alone with Margaret in a corner of the great hall.
We reviewed the years that had passed since our adventure and there was
one detail in her history of which I must tell you. She had had many
suitors, and among them one Lionel Clarke--a son of the distinguished
General. Her father had urged her to accept the young man, but she had
stood firmly for me.

"'You see, this heart of mine is a stubborn thing,' she said as she
looked into my eyes.

"Then it was that we gave to each other the long pledge, often on the
lips of lovers since Eros strung his bow, but never more deeply felt.

"'I am sure the sky will clear soon,' she said to me at last.

"Indeed as I bade them good night, I saw encouraging signs of that.
Sir Benjamin had taken a liking to me. He pressed my hand as we drank
a glass of Madeira together and said:

"'My boy, I drink to the happiness of England, the colonies and you.'"

"'"Time and I" and the will of God,' I whispered, as I left their door."

CHAPTER VII

THE DAWN

The young man was elated by the look and sentiments which had gone with
the parting cup at Sir Benjamin's. But Franklin, whom he saw the next
day, liked not the attitude of the Baronet.

"He is one of the King's men on the Big chess board," said the old
philosopher. "All that he said to you has the sound of strategy. I
have reason to believe that they are trying to tow us into port and
Margaret is only one of many ropes. Hare's attitude is not that of an
honest man."

"Is it not true that every one who touches the King gets some of that
tar on him?" Jack queried.

"It would seem so and yet we must be fair to him. We are not to think
that the King is the only black pot on the fire. He is probably the
best of kings but I can not think of one king who would be respectable
in Boston or Philadelphia. Their expenses have been great, their taxes
robbery, so they have had to study the magic arts of seeming to be just
and righteous. They have been a lot of conjurers trained to create
illusions."

"I suppose that Britain is no worse than other kingdoms," said the
young man.

"On the whole she is the best of them. Under the surface here I find
the love of liberty and all good things. Chatham, Burke and Fox are
their voices. We are not to wonder that Lord North puts a price on
every man. His is the soul of a past in which most men have had their
price. It was t