ng against hope. No authentic account of his
death had indeed arrived, and no one appeared who had seen him fall, but
hundreds more had been so stricken on that fatal day, with no eyes to
behold their last pangs, save those of the lurking enemy and the comrades
dying by their side. A fortnight after the defeat, when Harry was absent
on his quest, George's servant, Sady, reappeared, wounded and maimed, at
Castlewood. But he could give no coherent account of the battle, only of
his flight from the centre, where he was with the baggage. He had no news
of his master since the morning of the action. For many days Sady lurked
in the negro quarters away from the sight of Madame Esmond, whose anger
he did not dare to face. That lady's few neighbours spoke of her as
labouring under a delusion. So strong was it that there were times when
Harry and the other members of the little Castlewood family were almost
brought to share in it. No. George was not dead; George was a prisoner
among the Indians; George would come back and rule over Castlewood; as
sure, as sure as his Majesty would send a great force from home to
recover the tarnished glory of the British arms, and to drive the French
out of the Americas.

As for Mr. Washington, she would never, with her own good will, behold
him again. He had promised to guard George's life with his own, and where
was her boy.

So, if Harry wanted to meet his friend, he had to do so in secret. Madame
Esmond was exceedingly excited when she heard that the Colonel and her
son absolutely had met, and said to Harry, "How you can talk, sir, of
loving George, and then go and meet your Mr. Washington, I can't
understand."

So there was not only grief in the Castlewood House, but there was
disunion. As a result of the gloom, and of his grief for the loss of his
brother, Harry was again and again struck down by the fever, and all the
Jesuits' bark in America could not cure him. They had a tobacco-house and
some land about the new town of Richmond, and he went thither and there
mended a little, but still did not get quite well, and the physicians
strongly counselled a sea-voyage. Madame Esmond at one time had thoughts
of going with him, but, as she and Harry did not agree very well, though
they loved each other very heartily, 'twas determined that Harry should
see the world for himself.

Accordingly he took passage on the "Young Rachel," Virginian ship,
Edward Franks master. She proceeded to Bristol a