as if he thought himself
a saint.

"O mother, there is Uncle Humphrey looking up at us! I pray you let
me go down to him. I long so greatly to hear what Uncle Charles is
saying. And I shall be safe in his care."

"I think I will come, too," said Hannah, whose interest and
curiosity were keenly aroused; and after signalling as much to
Humphrey, they threw on their cloaks and hoods, and were soon out
in the streets, where an excited crowd had gathered.

"The posts have come in," said Humphrey, as they made their way
slowly along, "and there is news of fresh disasters, and nearer. In
a few minutes we shall have more news. Men have gone in who promise
to come out and read us the letters. But the bearers themselves
declare that things are terrible. The Germans have been attacked. A
Moravian settlement has been burnt to the ground, and all its
inhabitants butchered. Families are flying from the border country,
naked and destitute, to get clear of the savages and their
tomahawks. Every where the people are calling aloud upon the
Assembly to come to their succour."

The crowd in the street was surging to and fro. Some were Quakers,
with pale, determined countenances, still holding to their stubborn
policy of non-resistance to the enemy, but of obstinate resistance
to the Governor and the proprietaries. The sight of these men
seemed to inflame the rest of the populace, and they were hustled
and hooted as they made their way into the Assembly; whilst the
Governor was cheered as he went by with a grave and troubled face,
and on the steps of his house he turned and addressed the people.

"My friends," he said, "I am doing what I can. I have written to
the proprietaries and to the government at home. I have told them
that the conduct of the Assembly is to me shocking beyond parallel.
I am asking for fresh powers to deal with this horrible crisis. But
I cannot look for an answer for long; and meantime are all our
helpless settlers in the west to be butchered? You men of the city,
rise you and make a solemn protest to these obstinate rulers of
yours. I have spoken all that one man may, and they will not hear.
Try you now if you cannot make your voice heard."

"We will, we will!" shouted a hundred voices; and forthwith knots
of influential men began to gather together in corners, talking
eagerly together, and gesticulating in their excitement.

And all this while Charles, wild-eyed and haggard, was keeping his
place on the l