llborn, might well be counted upon to reach maturity long
before we should have a chance to oppose them?

So, instead of Wilkinson's name, it was Burr's which passed my
hesitating lips; and in my account of the little I knew of the late
Vice-President's grand projects, I took care to omit the name of
Wilkinson. My companion listened with his usual seriousness, but at the
end smilingly shook his head, and declared that he believed the
Colonel's schemes were all based on pure speculation, and would end in
air. As I have stated, I could not tell him my reasons for suspecting
that his General had plotted with Burr. Yet this was the very crux of
the affair. It was evident, in my opinion, that at about the time of my
visit to him in Natchez Wilkinson had become frightened, and was rapidly
coming to the decision of withdrawing from Burr's projects. But
supposing he, the military chief of the army and the Governor of the
Upper Territory, should gain heart to cast in his fortunes with the
great plotter, would those projects then be so visionary?

My friend went on with an argument which proved only how little he
suspected any connection between our expedition and Burr's plot. He
explained at great length--to his own satisfaction, though not to
mine--that our secret instructions to spy upon the Spaniards related
only to the far-from-probable event of war between their country and our
own.

On his part, he then came at me with a shrewd inquiry as to my real
motive for volunteering with the expedition. I immediately confided to
him everything relating to my romance. There was now no reason why I
should hold back anything about Alisanda, and indeed I should have told
him all long before, had it not been that since our start from Belle
Fontaine we had never chanced to be alone together other than at times
when matters of great concern to ourselves or the expedition absorbed
our interest.

My confession won me, as I had foreseen, a most ardent ally. He listened
with all the joyful sympathy of one who has been happy in the love of a
true-hearted, beautiful wife.

"John! John! To think of it! All these months, and you never so much as
whispered a word! A senorita from Old Spain? Never fear!" He looked me
up and down with an air of severe appraisal. "She'll take you; she's
bound to take you!"

He went on with a list of reasons as long as my arm. There is nothing
like a friend to lay it on with regard to your good qualities, when h