ings, mother
tells me, and I suppose you will say the same if I tell you more," and
she looked at him slyly, with her head half-raised, her lips parted
somewhat in a quizzical smile.

"Not at all! You are what I rather hoped to find you, although I did not
dare to give expression to it. You can, possibly, be of some assistance
to me."

"Gladly would I perform any service, however humble, for the cause of
our country," Marjorie sat upright, all attention at the thought.

"You remember I told you that I was detailed in the city on special
work," Stephen went on.

"I do."

"Well, it is a special work but it also is a very indefinite work. There
is a movement afoot, but of its nature, and purpose, I at this moment am
entirely ignorant. I am here to discover clews."

"And have you no material to work on except that? It is very vague, to
say the least."

"That and suspicion. Howe found the city a nest of Tories; but he also
found it swarmed with patriots, whose enthusiasm, and vigor, and
patience, and determination must have impressed him profoundly, and
portended disaster for the British cause. With the morale of the people
so high, and renewed hope and confidence swelling their bosoms, a
complete military victory must have appeared hopeless to the British
General. What was left? Dissension, or rebellion, or treason, or
anything that will play havoc with the united determination of the
Colonists."

She breathed heavily as she rested her chin on her hand absorbed in the
vision that he was calling up.

"Arnold's victory at Saratoga has convinced Britain that the war over
here cannot be won," he continued. "Already has Lord North thrown a bomb
into the ranks of the proud Tories by his liberal proposals. Of course
they will be entirely rejected by us and the war will continue until
complete independence is acknowledged. True, we had no such idea in mind
when we entered this conflict, but now we are convinced that victory is
on our side and that a free and independent form of government is the
most suitable for us. We have enunciated certain principles which are
possible of realization only under a democratic form of government,
where the people rule and where the rulers are responsible to the
people. Such a system is possible only in a great republic, and that is
what England must now recognize. Otherwise the war must go on."

"Have our aims taken such definite form. I know----"

"No! They have not," interrupted S