When I returned to Marmaduke Hall I found every one in bed asleep except a lad who had been left to attend me to my room. He informed me that his mistress had been impatient at my absence, had inquired again and again where I could be, and at last had given up waiting for me, very much vexed at my failure to return.

“She was in a great state to see you,” said the lad, “and she left word for you to be at her breakfast table early, by nine o’clock.”

In spite of the fatigue of my wanderings, I was awake betimes. While the clock was still striking nine I entered the dining hall. Lady Marmaduke sat alone at a table in an alcove that opened out of the main room. When she rose to greet me, which she did cordially, I noticed that she held a sheet of paper in her hand.

“If this letter from his Excellency,” she said, pointing to the paper in her hand, “had not arrived before you did, you would have tasted of my tongue. I had a round scolding ready for you, but this letter shall give you a chance to explain yourself.”

She was playful in her manner, yet I could see that she had been considerably put out by my 112absence the night before. I made haste to acquaint her with my story, though I said nothing of the mysterious woman I had seen.

“Ah, Michael,” she said when I was done. “I forgive you and you must forgive me for being angry with you. Yet I had better cause than you think. Listen to this passage from the governor’s note which came to me less than an hour ago.

“‘Fortune seems to smile graciously upon us. The ship came no nearer shore, nor did any of its crew condescend to visit the town. Perhaps they have concluded to wait till to-night.’

“Do you understand that, my Michael? A strange ship has anchored in the lower bay. It is probably a pirate ship and Earl Richard and I had planned to have you watch it; but when I came home you were not to be found. However, it has turned out all right after all.”

She glanced out of the window, but soon resumed her speech.

“You know of course that the buccaneers are forbidden the use of the port. Van Volkenberg has much dealing with them. This fact I know but we cannot prove it. Oh, if we could only trap him once in a secret meeting! We want a handle against him.” She brought her fist down on the table with a blow that made the dishes rattle. “I tell you we must have a handle against the scoundrel or we can do nothing. You need not look so amazed; but I forget how ignorant you are. We 113are to meet the Earl at eleven o’clock. I must give you a lesson in affairs so that you will know what we are talking about. You remember Fletcher? He was the man you saw with the patroon at the coffee-house. He was the former governor and a worse wretch never walked the streets of Yorke. The pirates bribed him, and the merchants bribed him, and he bribed them back for he was sore in need of friends. Then, to curry himself into further favor, he began to deal out the land of the province. He gave a hundred square miles to William Pinhorne to make him a patroon in the Mohawk valley. He sold both sides of the Hudson River as far north as Albany. There is hardly a square mile in the whole province that can be bought honestly for love or money.”

I interrupted her to ask information concerning the geography of the province, for I was as ignorant of that as of affairs. When she had satisfied my curiosity she continued.

“That is why the king appointed another governor. As soon as Fletcher heard of this check upon his practices, he showed his knavery in a new light. He leased the King’s farm, which should by right go to the support of Earl Richard’s household. He gave the center of the island to Van Volkenberg so as to have a friend near at hand. The dog had the impudence to title the patroon with this very house. This estate was deeded to my husband during his lifetime, and Fletcher gave 114it to the patroon from the day of his death, notwithstanding the fact that Sir Evelin was alive at the time of the grant. Earl Bellamont has reversed the grant and only yesterday, the first day of the new Assembly, this estate was given to me and my heirs forever. Van Volkenberg swears he will have it yet if he has to fight for it. We shall see about that.”

A servant came to the door to take orders for my lady’s coach. She told him to have it ready before eleven, as she intended to wait upon the Earl at that hour.

“Bellamont prides himself on his gentle blood,” she continued as soon as the servant had left us alone. “But it is a great clog to him at times. It was all I could do to get him to permit you to watch secretly upon the strange ship that has come into the bay. He is greatly addicted to open means and he said that it would be taking an unfair advantage to spy on people of whom we knew no absolute harm. But I urged necessity and told him flatly that if he did not I should commission you to do it myself. That fetched him. In spite of his fine blood he is jealous withal. The very idea of someone plotting without his help sets him on end with curiosity. Mark my word, before we are done with this affair we shall have to jog our own gait if we are to jog at all. You must fight a rogue with a rogue’s tricks. Never forget that. However, we 115must be careful not to ruffle the Earl and not to set his jealousy agog.”

A little later I was booted and spurred and ready to ride at the side of my mistress’s coach. We set out, accompanied by her numerous retinue of state. At every street corner we were greeted with cheers, for the common people loved her well. I noticed that more than one of the persons we passed on the way showed surprise in his face at seeing a well-mounted stranger in the place of honor by the coach. We passed the Jacobite Coffee-House and among those who stood upon the upper balcony to see us pass was the patroon. He frowned sullenly in answer to Lady Marmaduke’s dignified bow of recognition, which sign of displeasure caused her to break into merry laughter.

“I shall drive the old fox into his hole yet,” she said in an undertone, when we had passed the tavern. “But he is a crafty old fox. No one can deny that.”

At the outer entrance of the fort I dismounted and led Lady Marmaduke through the stone arch and across the paved court to the governor’s mansion.

“The Earl was struck with your hatred of the patroon yesterday, even before I told him the story about Ruth,” whispered Lady Marmaduke. “Do not be too nice about accepting his commissions. He will be glad of whatever you do, though he may not altogether approve in advance. His great fault 116is in delay. Sometimes he gets stirred up and acts like a whirlwind, but generally he wastes time by waiting for a better chance. I have persuaded him this time; that is, if he has not cooled over night.”

Lady Marmaduke explained to the Earl in a few words whatever was necessary to account for my non-appearance the night before. He then proceeded to interrogate me closely about all that had passed between me and Captain Tew.

“You see, Monsieur Le Bourse, these enormous tracts of land that have been granted by my predecessor in office must be annulled or the proper revenues cannot be forwarded to my royal master, his majesty, the King.”

“Your own table cannot be furnished either,” added Lady Marmaduke, “unless you get back the King’s farm.”

“Quite true, but that is a small matter compared with what is due to my beloved King and master. I well remember the day on which he informed me of the high honor he had conferred upon my unworthy self, which fact he graciously made known to me with his own royal lips. ‘Richard,’ he said, \'you have used your sword well for me. Now, I want you to use your head. These enormous grants by Fletcher must be annulled. But it must be done legally; I will not have a bad example set in the use of the law. I have implicit trust in you.\'”

“Indeed, your Excellency,” broke in Lady Marmaduke. “I wish he had shown that trust to a little 117more practical advantage. He might have given you more power to act for yourself.”

“I am somewhat restricted,” replied the Earl. “Beshrew me! That is an ungracious reflection. The King has planned all for the best. Though I must report to his council for approval, the delay gives me all the more opportunity to make certain, to collect more weighty evidence. I wish I could utilize this matter with Tew. I shall not, however, lest I compromise Monsieur Le Bourse.”

“The transaction is so old I don’t believe it would do us much good,” said Lady Marmaduke.

“I have no doubt but that we shall soon stand on firmer ground,” continued the governor. “Has Lady Marmaduke informed you of what I intend you to do?”

“In part,” I answered.

“The matter as it stands at present is as follows. At noon yesterday a ship was sighted coming into the bay. As is our custom always upon the arrival of a ship, a welcome gun was fired from the Battery. Instead of coming up to the city like an honest trader, the ship cast anchor and has remained in one place ever since. She is a suspicious looking craft, probably a buccaneer who is afraid to enter the port now that the laws are so stringent against them. It may be one chance in a hundred—”

“I should say one in ten or two,” interrupted Lady Marmaduke.

“By your gracious leave,” answered the Earl with 118a courtly bow. “The chances are even that the ship is here to communicate with Patroon Van Volkenberg. If you are willing to help me, what I want you to do is this: To be ready at a moment’s notice to keep an eye on any sailors who may put off from the ship, for the purpose of coming into the town. I shall cause a sharp lookout to be kept and send you instant notice of their arrival.”

We soon made all the necessary arrangements in order to carry out this plan. The Earl did not expect any one to come ashore from the stranger ship before night. He knew, however, that I should be prepared to act quickly when the moment for action came. He gave me a key that would enable me to come and go in the fort at wi............