nings and Ridouts,
and Colonel Sharpe, who remained in the province, and many more families
of prominence which I have not space to mention, all came to Gordon's
Pride. Some of these, as their names proclaim, were of the King's side;
but the bulk of Mr. Swain's company were stanch patriots, and toasted
Miss Patty instead of his Majesty. By this I do not mean that they
lacked loyalty, for it is a matter of note that our colony loved King
George.

I must not omit from the list above the name of my good friend, Captain
Clapsaddle.

Nor was there lack of younger company. Betty Tayloe, who plied me
with questions concerning Dorothy and London, but especially about the
dashing and handsome Lord Comyn; and the Dulany girls, and I know not
how many others. Will Fotheringay, when he was home from college, and
Archie Brice, and Francis Willard (whose father was now in the Assembly)
and half a dozen more to court Patty, who would not so much as look at
them. And when I twitted her with this she would redden and reply: "I
was created for a housewife, sir, and not to make eyes from behind a
fan." Indeed, she was at her prettiest and best in the dimity frock,
with the sleeves rolled up.

'Twas a very merry place, the manor of Gordon's Pride. A generous bowl
of punch always stood in the cool hall, through which the south winds
swept from off the water, and fruit and sangaree and lemonade were on
the table there. The manor had no ball-room, but the negro fiddlers
played in the big parlour. And the young folks danced till supper time.
In three months Patty's suppers grew famous in a colony where there was
no lack of good cooks.

The sweet-natured invalid enjoyed these festivities in her quiet way,
and often pressed me to partake. So did Patty beg me, and Mr. Swain.
Perhaps a false sense of pride restrained me, but my duties held me all
day in the field, and often into the night when there was curing to be
done, or some other matters of necessity. And for the rest, I thought I
detected a change in the tone of Mr. Fotheringay, and some others, tho'
it may have been due to sensibility on my part. I would put up with no
patronage.

There was no change of tone, at least, with the elder gentlemen. They
plainly showed me an added respect. And so I fell into the habit, after
my work was over, of joining them in their suppers rather than the sons
and daughters. There I was made right welcome. The serious conversation
spiced with the wit o