"But you yourself would fight?"
"I should have to. I'm fighting for liberty, which is always an honorable motive. You're fighting to take it away from me——"
"Which is a dishonorable motive. Very well; I must accept that imputation as best I may, and still go on."
"Oh, then, it is war. You mean to make it so."
"I mean to do my duty. You may call your rebellion against it what you like."
"I'm not accustomed to rebel," she said, with significant quietness. "Only people who feel themselves weak do that."
"And are you so strong?"
"I'm very strong. I don't want to measure my strength against yours, father; but if you insist on measuring yours against mine, I ought to warn you."
"Thank you. It's in the light of a warning that I view your action to-day. You probably went to meet Mr. Wappinger."
In saying this his bow was drawn so entirely at a venture that he was astonished at the skill with which he hit the mark.