ity, but
a real desire to befriend you, that I ask the question. The Governor
strongly suspects your integrity, and that you are concealing from him
more than it suits you to divulge. Now, I would do you a service and
advise you how you may reinstate yourself in his favour."

"Well, that seems kind on the outside," said the soldier, "seeing as you
seems to be one of the blooded gentry, and I am nothing but a plain
Dunstable.[43] But rough iron is as soft as polished steel."

"I believe you," said Bernard. "Now you have not much reason to waste
your love on this Major Hansford. He threatened to beat you, as you say,
and a freeborn Englishman does not bear an insult like that with
impunity."

"No, your honour," replied the man, "and I've known the day when a
Plymouth cloak[44] would protect me from insult as well as a frieze coat
from cold. But I am too old for that now, and so I had better swallow an
insult dry, than butter it with my own marrow."

"And are there not other modes of revenge than by a blow? Where are your
wits, man? What makes the man stronger than the horse that carries him?
I tell you, a keen wit is to physical force what your carbine is to the
tomahawk of these red-skins. It fires at a distance."

The old soldier looked up with a gleam of intelligence, and Bernard
continued--

"Bethink you, did you hear nothing from Hansford by which you might
infer that his ultimate design was to overturn the government?"

"Why I can't exactly say that I did," returned the fellow. "To be sure
they all prate about liberty and the like, but I reckon that is an
Englishman's privilege, providing he takes it out in talking. But there
may be fire in the bed-straw for all my ignorance."[45]

"Well, I am sorry for you," said Bernard, "for if you could only
remember any thing to convict this young rebel, I would warrant you a
free pardon and a sound neck."

"Well, now, as I come to think of it," said the unscrupulous renegade,
"there might be some few things he let drop, not much in themselves, but
taken together, as might weave a right strong tow; and zounds, I don't
think a man can be far wrong to untwist the rope about his own neck by
tying it to another. For concerning of life, your honour, while I have
no great care to risk it in battle, I don't crave to choke it out with
one of these hemp cravats. And so being as I have already done the state
some service, I feel it my duty to save her if I can."

"Now, than