would be attended by such noise as could not
fail to attract the attention of his guard posted outside the door. This
reflection prompted him to inspect the door; and discovering an inside
bolt as well as the outer one, he drew it, thus assuring his privacy
from intrusion. The large chimney was his next point of investigation;
and although the flue seemed somewhat narrow, Geoffrey decided that it
afforded some slight chance, provided he had the means of descent when
once he reached the roof. Back to the windows again; yes, the great elm
of which Moppet had spoken stood like a tall sentinel guarding the
mansion, and Geoffrey felt confident that he could crawl from roof to
tree and thus reach the ground. To be sure, it was most hazardous; there
was the chance of some one sleeping in the chambers near who might hear
even so slight a noise; he might become wedged in the chimney,
or--pshaw! one must risk life, if need be, for liberty; and here
Geoffrey smiled, as it occurred to him that this was what these very
colonists were engaged in doing, and for a moment the British officer
felt a throb of sympathy hitherto unknown to him. He had landed at New
York but a month before, filled with insular prejudices and contempt for
these country lads and farmers, whom he imagined composed the
Continental army; but the fight at Fairfield, which was carried on by
the Hessians with a brutality that disgusted him, and the encounter with
such a family as this under whose roof he was, began to open his eyes,
and he acknowledged frankly to himself that young Oliver Wolcott was both
a soldier and a gentleman.

"The boy looked every inch a soldier," thought Geoffrey, "when he
refused his sister's pleading; faith, he is made of firm stuff to
withstand her. Oh, Betty, Betty! I wonder if the fortunes of war will
ever let me see your face again," and with a sigh compounded of many
things, Geoffrey picked up a book that was lying on the table, and
resolved to read until it should be far on into the night, when he
would make a bold attempt to escape.

The clock on the stairs struck twelve and Geoffrey, roused from the
light slumber into which he had fallen, heard the steps outside his door
as Josiah Huntington was joined by Reuben, who was to relieve his guard,
and straightened himself, with a long breath, as he rose from his chair.
As he did so, he became conscious of a slight, very slight, noise in the
direction of the chimney; and turning his eye