mander-in-chief, but for George
Washington, who the day after the battle of Bunker Hill was chosen and
modestly accepted with the proviso that he should receive no pay for
his services. There, also, came Benjamin Franklin, just returned from
England and convinced nothing remained but war; and there, too, was
Jefferson, likewise certain the time had come for the colonies to
declare their independence of England.

Rodney's boyish prejudices were in favour of everything Jefferson did,
and he was impatient with those, and they were the greater number, who
wished to delay decisive action in the hope of conciliation. This
prejudice extended to the Quakers in their broad-brimmed hats, nearly
all of whom were opposed to war.

Boys are usually impatient, unable to work and wait and keep working,
as the wise men of that Congress were doing.

The boy had but part of two days in the city, which was the first he
had seen and consequently full of interest; so he did not call on
Lisbeth, indeed, had there been plenty of time he would have hesitated
in his rough dress of homespun to have presented himself before her
aristocratic friends.

The day he turned Nat's nose in the direction of Virginia a young man
rode alongside and said, "Why, this is an unexpected pleasure, if as I
suspect, you are on your way home."

He was Lawrence Enderwood. Rodney's reply was almost surly, as several
reasons for Enderwood's presence in Philadelphia flashed through his
mind.

"I'm not going directly home but by way of Williamsburg. I live in
Albemarle County."

"I, too, am riding by way of Williamsburg, and if you have no
objections to my company should be delighted to join you. It is a long
ride."

Rodney could offer no objections, indeed, as they went on, he found
his companion a very agreeable one, notwithstanding that in course of
the conversation it appeared that Lawrence had seen Lisbeth.

"She is very gay, seems to be absorbed in the gaieties and social life
so that she has little time for anything else." Somehow this remark of
Enderwood, spoken rather impatiently, afforded Rodney a little
comfort, though he hardly could have explained it.

On arriving at Williamsburg, they found the little town well filled,
for Governor Dunmore had convened the House of Burgesses to listen to
Lord North's plans for conciliation.

"'Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed by a kiss,'" quoted Rodney, and
Lawrence laughingly replied, "Patrick Henry has a