ran high, and no end of dice and card-playing. There was among many of
the lower classes an insolent revolt against an established order of
things that had not brought them prosperity, and tradesmen had felt the
pinch of hard times severely. The influx of British gold was hailed with
delight, and some timorous souls that had longed for the larger liberty,
yet feared the Colonies could never win independence, went over to the
other side with sudden fervor.

Those of royalist proclivities opened their houses to the gayeties that
swept over the town like sudden intoxication. There were private balls
and dinners and tea-drinking, with no end of scarlet-coated young
officers, and card-playing was rampant. The shabby little theater on
South Street was no longer relegated to opprobrium, but put in some
repair and made a place of fashionable entertainment; the versatile
Englishmen turning their hands and their wits to almost anything in that
line, from scene-painting to acting in comedy, farce, or tragedy.

It was soon noised about that Madam Wetherill's grand niece and protege
had a brother among the English officers. Many people could recall the
fine old Quaker Philemon Henry, and his pretty second wife Bessy
Wardour.

"Surely you are in luck, Madam Wetherill," said bright, inconsequent
Sally Stuart. "Will you not be generous enough to give us a peep at
this handsome captain? My mother remembers his father well. And what
does the child say to this fine surprise?"

"She is not as enthusiastic as one might suppose."

"Ah! I remember; she is quite a little rebel, and her patriotism becomes
her well, since she is but a child, but she will mend of that."

"Thou shalt see the young man, with pleasure. I shall choose some of the
young people who have a hankering for scarlet."

"Well, they are going to give us a gay winter, and, Heaven knows, we
have been dull as ditch water. The theater has been refitted. And there
is talk of racing again and no end of diversion."

So Madam Wetherill gave a dancing party and asked the favorite young
women of the day, since Captain Nevitt had proposed to bring some
brother officers. Miss Franks and Miss Kitty Ross and Betty Randolph
were to be among the belles of the evening, and many were pleading for
invitations.

"I hardly know how to manage," the Mistress said with a sigh to Janice
Kent. "Many have had soldiers quartered upon them with hardly a moment's
notice. Mrs. Norris was relieve