“It looks like my grandfather’s writing,” George said, lowly.
“It is,” replied Merchant Camp. “It is a letter of his written me when Warren and Hancock and the Adamses first began to take such a high hand in Boston. In it he speaks of how families were divided upon the question before the public eye. His own, like mine, was in this deplorable condition.” Here he held the letter to the light so that he could read it. “Listen to this: ‘One of my grandsons, Ezra, is in favor of the Whiggish demands; the other, George, is a king’s man through and through.’” Merchant Camp looked up from the screen and smiled at the young man. “That is what I wanted to make sure of. I knew that one or the other of you was on the right side; and I am delighted that it’s you.”
Here he grasped the hand of George with great warmth. The youth, disliking that any one should have a false impression of him, was about to put the matter before the merchant in its proper light, but at that moment Major Hyde and his friend, Henderson, reëntered the room.
“I find that the terms of the wager were——” Here Hyde observed Peggy and paused. Holding a small note-book toward George, its pages open that he might read, he continued in a lower voice, “The terms, as you see, are merely that I manage to get you talking on the subject mentioned.”
The young man noted that this was so; but there was something in the proceeding and in the eager intentness of the two men that caught his attention.
“But,” continued Hyde, “Henderson interprets it that I extract information from you.”
“Oh, well,” said the dragoon, and in the same low tone as his friend, “I dare say we can arrange the matter. We must not delay the supper,” in a louder voice.
“A good, sensible saying,” spoke the host. “And as sense is not to be expected of scatterbrains who take sword against rightful authority, all the more credit is due you, Master Henderson.”
The dragoon laughed, as did Hyde.
“Do you hear that, Prentiss?” cried he, as they all seated themselves at the table. “Do you notice how you are referred to? A ‘scatterbrain,’ says he.”