ou, General," said Marjorie. "Let me congratulate you upon your
excellent choice."

"Rather upon my good fortune," the Governor replied with a generous
smile.

Peggy blushed at the compliment.

"How long before we may be enabled to offer similar greetings to you?"
he asked of Mr. Anderson, who was assisting Marjorie into a chair by the
side of Peggy.

"Oh! Love rules his own kingdom and I am an alien."

He drew himself near to the Governor and the conversation turned
naturally and generally to the delicious evening. The very atmosphere
thrilled with romance.

CHAPTER III

I

Stephen was sitting in his room, his feet crossed on a foot-rest before
him, his eyes gazing into the side street that opened full before his
window. He had been reading a number of dispatches and letters piled in
a small heap in his lap; but little by little had laid them down again
to allow his mind to run into reflection and study. And so he sat and
smoked.

It seemed incredible that events of prime importance were transpiring in
the city and that the crisis was so soon upon him. For nearly three
months he had been accumulating, methodically and deliberately, a chain
of incriminating evidence around the Military Governor and John
Anderson, still he was utterly unaware of its amazing scope and
magnitude. Perfidy was at work all around him and he was powerless to
interfere; for the intrigue had yet to reach that point where conviction
could be assured. Nevertheless, he continued to advance step by step
with the events, and sensed keenly the while, the tension which was
beginning to exist but which he could not very well point out.

He had kept himself fully informed of the progress of affairs in New
York, where the recruiting was being accomplished in an undisguised
manner. The real facts, however, were being adroitly concealed from the
bulk of the populace. Information of a surprising nature had been
forwarded to him from time to time in the form of dispatches and
letters, all of which now lay before him, while a certain Sergeant
Griffin had already been detailed by him to carry out the more hazardous
work of espionage in the city of the enemy. The latter was in a fair way
to report now on the progress of the work and had returned to
Philadelphia for this very purpose.

Irish Catholics had been found in the British Army at New York, but they
had been impressed into the service. Sergeant Griffin had spoken to many
deserter