Altsheler, Joseph - [Novel 09] Page 3

  The laugh went around again, and this time at my expense.

  " Perhaps, if the discourteous rebels had known

  In Hostile Red

  that I was one of the gentlemen whom they were pursuing," I said, " it might have saved my friend Captain Montague much exasperation of spirit and the loss of a most elegant military cloak that lie brought from England with him. I assure you, gentlemen, that when we were compelled to take to flight the captain's beautiful cloak trailed out behind him like a streamer, and finally, a puff of wind catching it, left his shoulders entirely. I doubt not that some ragged rebel is now wearing it as a trophy. Ah, captain, it was a most beautiful cloak to lose, was it not ? "

  "And it was with that very cloak upon ray shoulders," said Marcel, falling into the spirit of .the matter, "that I expected to make conquest of some of these provincial maidens of whom report speaks in such glowing terms. Alas, what shall I do? "

  " Oh, it will be easy enough to get it back," said a young officer, whose name, as I afterwards learned, was Reginald Belfort. "These rebels are a poor l ot. They cannot stand before us."

  Belfort was young and handsome, but his face ex- pressed arrogance and superciliousness. I liked him but little.

  " I know not much of the rebels from personal observation," I replied, not relishing his sneer, " but General Burgoyne would hardly have said that at Saratoga."

  "No," commented Vivian, "for it would be some- what severe upon General Burgoyne to be captured with all his veterans by such a poor lot of men as Belfort says the rebels are."

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  " You must not forget," said Catron, good-humor- e-lly, " that Belfort thinks the rebels are inferior in blood. Belfort, as you know, gentlemen, has a lin- eage that dates back to the Conquest He claims that these rebels are the descendants of peasants and out- casts, and therefore should admit their inboni and I» erinanent inferiority."

  " And such they are," said Belfort, still sneering. " They should be ruled by the gentlemen of England, and ruled by them they will be."

  " What were the Normans themselves in the be- ginning," I asked, " but Scandinavian pirates and peasants? The ancestors of these rebels may have been peasants, but at any rate they were not pirates."

  Belfort flushed, and for a moment could not answer. He knew that I had spoken the truth, :is any one who reads history knows also.

  " We have come to a fine pass," he said at length, " when a man who has just escaped by the speed of his horse from the rebels sets himself up as their defender."

  "That may be, ' I replied, for I was still somewhat angry ; " but I do not think it worth our while to depreciate men who have already taken an entire army of ours, and keep all our other forces cooped up in two or three large towns."

  " Melville does not want to diminish the glory of the victories that we are to achieve," said Marcel, lightly. "The more valiant and the more worthy the foe, the greater one's glory to triumph over him."

  "That is a very just observation," said Vivian, 35

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  who seemed anxious to avoid a quarrel, "and I pro- pose that the quality of the rebels and the amount of resistance they will offer to our conquering armies be left to the future. Such warlike questions will keep. Milder subjects better become the present."

  " Then would not the dinner that the general is to give to-morrow be a fit topic ? " asked young Graves.

  " Our new friends are to be there," said Vivian. "You are lucky chaps, Montague, you and Mel- ville, to be invited, so soon after your arrival, to one of Sir William's entertainments. There is not a better diner in America, or Europe either, than the commandcr-in-chief."

  "The banquet is to be blessed by beauty too," said Graves. " Our fair ally and her renegade father are to be there. Oh, but Sir William keeps a sharp eye on the old scoundrel, and well he deserves to be watched thus."

  " I beg to avow ignorance of whom you mean," I said, my curiosity aroused. " You must remember that Montague and I have arrived but within the day and know not the great personages of Phila- delphia."

  " By ' old renegade ' we mean John Desmond, merchant and money-lender of this city, who it is said has more wealth than any other man in all this rich colony, ay, even enough to set up a mighty es- tate in England, if he so chose," replied Vivian; " and by ' our fair ally ' we mean his daughter Mary, as fine and fair a woman as these two eyes ever gazed upon. The old Desmond leans to the rebels, and 't is said would help them with his money if he 36

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  dared, \ ! ilc the daughter is nil for us, as she should be, being a born subject of our liege King George, God bless him. Aud 'tis reported that it might go hard with the old rebel, but some of his sins are forgiven him for the sake of his loyal and lovely daughter."

  I had not heard of the daughter before, but the name of the father was known to me. Secret assist- ance of money had reached our camp sometimes, and it was said that this John Desmond had sent it. Repute had it that he was a man of great mind and brain, who would have come in person to join us had not his rich properties in Philadelphia demanded his care and attention ; and I could well believe that his situation was of a very precarious nature, despite his daughter's fidelity to the king.

  " I am curious to see both the rebel and his loyal daughter," said Marcel, unconsciously speaking my own thoughts also.

  " You may yield to the charms of the daughter," replied Vivian, " but I warn you that if you seek to rrtort her conquests upon her you will have antag- onists, and our friend Belfort here would not be the least among them."

  Belfort frowned as if he did not relish the allusion, hut it was a jolly young company of officers, and his frowns did not prevent them from having but small mercy upon him.

  "I am told," said Catron,"that the young lady

  looks very high, and it will not be an easy task to

  win her. I think, Belfort, that the uniform of a

  colonel would be an exceeding betterment to your

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  chances. And even if you should achieve success with the lady, I know not how the glowering old Desmond will look upon you."

  "It seems to me, gentlemen," said Belfort, a trifle warmly, " that you are over personal in your discussions."

  " Then in truth it is a most serious matter with you, eh, Belfort ? " exclaimed Vivian.

  " Nevertheless the field is open to any of us who choose to enter, and I suspect that some of us do choose," said Catron. " Belfort must not expect to win a battle unopposed."

  I saw that Belfort liked the discussion less and less, and that he did not fancy rivalry. Many of the British officers in America, with worldly wisdom, were already seeking alliances with our Colonial heiresses. I had no doubt that Belfort had such designs in his mind, and I took a dislike to him for it.

  Our appetites had now been dulled, and Vivian, seeing it, suggested that perhaps we might like to seek repose, adding that we would not be assigned to any regular service for a day or two. We accepted the invitation to rest, as we were in truth tired. Evening was at hand and it had been a long day, filled with many adventures. The officers wished us a hearty good-night and slumber undisturbed by dreams of pursuing rebels, and then left us.

  "I must return to Sir William," said Vivian, as he left, " but Waters will take you to your quarters. Here, Waters, see that Captain Montague and Lieutenant Melville are made comfortable."

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  Waters, a large, red-headed man in the dress of a British orderly, who had just entered, stepped forward.

  " Waters is American," said Vivian, " but no Englishman is more loyal to the king than he. He is a good soldier and a good fellow. In fact, he has been so useful to us in various ways that he is in some sort a privileged character, and often comes and goes pretty nearly according to his own liking. So you may know that he is esteemed by us all."

  When Vivian had gone, Waters led the way to our quarters. Presently this red-headed man said
to us, " The rebels are very numerous about the city, are they not, and make travelling a matter of much danger ? "

  " Why should you think them numerous ? " haughtily asked Marcel, who was a great stickler for the formalities, and thought the man presump- tuous in speaking unbidden to his superiors.

  " I meant no harm, sir," replied Waters, humbly. " I heard that they pursued you and your friend there almost into the city itself."

  " Well, at any rate," said Marcel, shortly, " they did not overtake us; and if you will kindly conduct us to our quarters we will undertake to get along without any further questions from you about the rebels."

  "Of a certainty, sir," replied Waters. "I see that your honor pays small heed to the rebels."

  This savored of fresh impertinence, but neither Marcel nor I replied. When we had reached the room and Waters was adjusting it for us, I saw him 3d

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  regarding Marcel with a pair of remarkably keen and intelligent eyes. It was a more comprehensive gaze than that of an ordinary attendant prompted by curiosity, and there was something in it that struck me with alarm. Presently his gaze shifted from Marcel and fell upon me, but the eyes, meeting mine, passed on. A moment or two later, Waters, having finished his task, bowed to us and left the room, walking with a light, noiseless step, although he was a large, heavy man.

  Sometimes little things stir one overmuch, and it was so with this incident. The man had aroused my apprehensions to a strange degree, and I showed my alarm in my face, for Marcel, turning to me, exclaimed,

  "Why, what ails you? What are you scared about ? "

  Then I explained how I had noticed the suspicious and inquiring gaze of the man Waters. This made Marcel look serious also.

  " Of a truth the man was over-bold in his man- ner," he said, " and it may be he believes I am no more Captain Montague than you are Lieutenant Melville. He is an American, I believe Vivian said ? "

  " Yes, one of the Tories."

  "They are the worst of all."

  But presently we took a more cheerful view of the matter. We reasoned that, situated as we were, the slightest sort of an incident was likely to breed suspicion in our minds.

  " At any rate," said Marcel, " I shall not be un- 40

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  happy just after having eaten the first substantial and plentiful meal that I have had in a year. That red-headed Tory shall not rest upon my mind."

  " Xor upon mine," I said.

  ''That being the case," continued Marcel, " we'd better go to sleep."

  Which we did.

  CHAPTER THREE Sir William's Revel

  I HAD heard that Sir William Howe was of sybaritic temperament. What we had seen on the occasion of our first interview with him indicated the truth of this report, and the sight that burst upon us when we entered the apart- ments where his banquet of state was served was indubitable confirmation. There was such a con- fusion of soft carpets and silken hangings and glitter- ing glass and other adornments of luxury that for a few moments both Marcel and I were quite dazzled and overpowered.

  " I would like to turn about twenty of our starv- ing soldiers loose here with liberty to do their will for a half-hour," Marcel whispered to me.

  I smiled at the thought of t he mighty wreckage and despoiling that would ensue. But Vivian and Blake were coming to greet us, and soon we were strolling about with them. We rendered our re- spects again to Sir William, who received us with kindly courtesy. He was in the full blaze of his most splendid and brilliant uniform, with a gold-hilted sword hanging by his side, and I have rarely seen a more bravely adorned figure.

  "Suppose we get a glass of wine," said Blake, after we had performed our duty to our host and commander-in-chief.

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  We made assent, and he led the way to a smaller room, where there was spread a fine array of bottles and glasses. An attendant hastened to (ill the glasses for us, and when he handed mine to me I recognized the f.iee of the man Waters. Perhaps it was my imagination again, but his eyes seemed to dwell iipou nr- fora moment with a look of suspicion or knowledge. I Jut it was only for a moment, and then his faee became as blank and stupid as that of a well-trained attendant ought to be. But the feel- ing of alarm was aroused in me as it had been aroused the night before, and I drank off the wine at a draught to steady my nerves and to still my fears. It had the effect desired : my blood grew warm in my veins again. Then I saw how foolish I had been. The imagination loves to trick us, and if ever we give it any vantage it will treat us in precisely the same way again.

  Waters was asking me in the most respectful tone for the privilege of refilling my glass, but I declined, and passed on with my friends. I determined to say nothing to Marcel about this second alarm that Waters had given me, for I knew that his volatile Southern temperament had long since thrown off the effects of what he mulit have felt the previous night, and he would only iangh at me.

  Marcel and the two Englishmen said by and bjr that they wanted another glass of wine, and decided to return to the room in search of it. I wished to keep my head cool, and declined to go with them.

  " Very well," said Vivian. " Take oare of your- self, and we will rejoin you presently." * 43

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  So they left me ; and I was not ill content to be a l one) _ that is, in so far as one can be alone in the midst of a crowd, as I wished to look on and to note well, since I apprehended that in the course of our adventure we would need a great store of knowledge as well as tact. I was thinking such thoughts, and meanwhile failing to look about me with the acute- ness that I had intended, when I turned an angle of the hall and barely saved myself from a collision with the most beautiful young woman I had ever seen. Startled by my absence of mind and awkwardness, she stepped back with a little cry, while I stammered out some sort of an apology, though all the while I kept my eyes upon her face, which was of that clear, fine, and expressive type that I so much admire. The slight look of annoyance appearing at first in her eyes passed away. I suppose it was my look of .id- miration that placated her, for I have heard old men who know much of women say that no one of them is so good or so indifferent as not to be pleased by evident admiration. A half-dozen brilliantly uni- formed officers were around her, and one of them Catrou it was stepped forward.

  " Miss Desmond," he said with easy grace, " per- mit me to introduce to you the valiant Lieutenant Melville, who is one of the heroes of yesterday's en- counter with the rebel band, of which you perhaps have heard. Lieutenant Melville, make obeisance to Miss Desmond, our fairest and most faithful ally."

  So this was the woman. As traitorous as she was fair! The apostate daughter of a patriot father! Not all her beauty and I was fain to confess to

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  myself that it was great could prevent the anger from rising within me.

  But I concealed my feelings and made a most lowly obeisance,

  '* You are just from England, I hear, Lieutenant Melville," she said. " Ah, that is a happy land ! There the king's subjects are loyal and devoted to his welfare, while this wretched country is rent by trea- son and war."

  Her words increased my anger.

  " Mi - Desmond," I -ail. I am a soldier of his Majesty King (Jcorge, and hoj» e to serve him well, but I can cond/mn the rebels as rebels only and not as men also. I hear that Mr. Washington and many of his officers are, aside from their lack of loyalty, most worthy persons."

  These words had a bold sound, but I had deter- mined to adopt sneh a course, as I believed it would come nearer to allaying suspicion than any over- warm espousal of Britain's cause. This in truth seemed to be the case, for two or three of the officers murmured approval of my words.

  " You seem to be as frank as you are bold," said Miss Desmond, coldly. " But |» erhaps it would be wise for you to keep these opinions from Sir William Howe."

  14 He has not yet asked me for my opinions," I re- plied ; then adding as an apology for
the rudeness, " but if any one could convert me by argument to the belief that the morals of the rebels are as bad as their politics, it would be Miss Desmond."

  "Then," she said, somewhat irrelerantly, "you 45

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  do not believe that all these men should be hanged when the rebellion is crushed ? "

  "Miss Desmond," I replied, "you cannot hang an entire nation."

  "Fie! fie!" broke in Catron, "to talk of such a gruesome subject at such a time ! Melville, acknowl- edge yourself one of Miss Desmond's subjects, and come with us."

  " I yield willingly to such overwhelming odds," I

  said.

  "You are just in time," said Catron, " for here comes Belfort, who is even more fierce against the rebels than Miss Desmond."

  Belfort saluted Miss Desmond in his most courtly manner, but was chary of politeness to the remainder of us. It was evident that lie wished to assume a certain proprietorship over Miss Desmond, but the gay crowd around her was not willing to submit to that, and Miss Desmond herself would not have al- lowed such cool appropriation. So among us we made Belfort fight for his ground, and, though it is wrong, perhaps, to confess it, I extracted much en- joyment from his scarce-concealed spleen. In this pleasant exercise we were presently aided by Marcel, who saw how matters stood as soon as he joined us, and turned all the shafts of his sharp wit upon Belfort.

  But these passages at arms were soon broken up, as the time for the banquet arrived. The largest room in the house was set apart for the feasting, and the great table which ran almost its full length sup- ported an array of gold and silver plate of a splendor