“Believe me, I greatly appreciate your kindness. Perhaps, having been so kind to a poor Virginia captain, you may come to speak of ‘our’ Washington, for you are a daughter of Virginia.”
Lisbeth appeared not to notice this allusion to her Tory principles, and exclaimed, as she looked with evident disgust at the squalid surroundings: “Why will men be so cruel to men? I will tell General Howe some truths that will cause his ears to burn, and––”
“And shut the door against your return. You see I am selfish enough to look for another visit, though this pestilent hole is no place for you to visit. Howe will do nothing. When he was in command at New York our men literally rotted in the foul prison hulks lying in the harbour. It is a cheap and an easy way for killing us off.”
“Now, no lectures, Captain Enderwood. Howe shall know of this, and I believe will do something to improve it. Meanwhile, here is a little basket of food cooked by our old Nancy. You always praised Nancy’s cooking when you came to ‘The Hall’ in the old days, so you are under obligations to eat every crumb of it, even if it isn’t as good as the prison fare.”
“Good as the prison fare! Why, the cockroaches that crawl around here are literally starving. It’s a marvel you got past old Cunningham with this basket. Nothing infuriates him so, and this morning I saw him knock on the floor a bowl of broth brought to one of the prisoners.”
“Oh! I can’t understand it.”
“No, and you never will until you get better acquainted with men like Cunningham, which God forbid. But tell me about the ‘Mis-er-’”
“‘Mischianza?’ Oh, it was the most delightful 253 affair ever known. You should have seen it. The floats on the river, the parades, the arches, the battles between the knights and all! Well, Major Andre was a true prophet when he said no Roman fête would equal it. I simply can’t find words to describe ever so little of it.”
With you present I couldn’t have realized its magnificence if I had seen it, was the thought in Enderwood’s mind, but what he said was: “They tell me it was gorgeous, and you may say with the old Roman, er––how do those Latin words go? Anyhow it was to the effect that he’d been a part of the doings, quite a big part at that.”