This scene with Miriam put me in a state of bad humor, for all there was in it to make me glad. It is seldom that sweet recollections come unmixed with sour, and then the sour bite into our thoughts and the sweet are clean forgotten. I ought to have been happy over the dear picture of my sister and her friend praying together, each in her own faith, as Miriam said. But I could think only of my own loss in Ruth’s death, and of what wicked ways I had fallen into without her to keep me free of pitfalls. It was useless to argue with myself that I had been driven against my will; that, through my late career, I had chosen what seemed to be the right path, or, at least, the lesser of two evils. Such meditations gave me no comfort.

Here I actually was in the household of the patroon, a spy not even owning my name. My present safety was due mainly to Miriam’s intercession on my behalf. She had denied that I was a spy and had vouched for my honesty. This added new weight to my burden of remorse. I tossed wakefully on my bed at night, wondering what would happen if she knew the truth. How she would hate me and despise me when she found out who I was. I was not only deceiving the patroon, acting a lie 278day by day; I was also deceiving her, she who had been so kind to my sister, and whose coveted belief in me had become more than I could contemplate.

So, when I rose in the morning after Meg’s death, I was full of a new idea. Come what would of it, I should seek Lady Marmaduke that very day and demand my release. I had gone to the manor-house at her instigation and felt myself bound to her service; but I would soon end that. Just how to accomplish the meeting had not occurred to me as yet, but I could not fail to make a chance before the day was over.

For an hour in the morning I was busy in my mind going over the situation and trying to read the signs of the times. I knew well enough that Van Volkenberg’s expulsion from the council was not the end of his account with the governor. It was but one successful blow from his enemy and was sure to be returned. Theirs was a bitter struggle that I knew would end only with the utter annihilation of one or the other of them.

Could Van Volkenberg possibly succeed? He was nearer to success than I had any idea of at the time. There were many points in his favor. Captain Kidd was about to arrive—in fact, he had arrived during the night, but we did not know it then. His mission was now familiar to everyone, and the fact that he would recruit his crew in New York was also public. There were so many merchants in the city whose trade would be hurt by the suppression 279of the buccaneers, that ill-feeling against the Earl was running high. The patroon made the most of this, coaxing here, explaining there, till all the discontented faction began to look to him more than ever as their leader against the Earl.

Had the patroon been ready to strike his blow a few days earlier, I ween he had overturned the city.

Bellamont, on the other hand, was likely to suffer from too much security, or fancied security. He was an easy-going man most of the time; one who prided himself on his knowledge of the character of men—a knowledge which he really did not possess at all. Through me he had detected the plotting of the patroon. Governor Bellamont thought that the retirement of his enemy from the council in disgrace removed him altogether from the sphere of troublesome elements that beset the King’s processes in the province. There was one person, however, at his very right hand who realized the danger. Hardly a day passed that Lady Marmaduke did not warn the Earl, did not beseech him to use more care and watchfulness.

“No, no,” Bellamont would answer in his easy-going way. “I have killed him now. I’ll get the Assembly to reverse his grant and we shall hear no more of him.”

But Lady Marmaduke knew better. If the Earl would not keep an eye on the enemy she would. She had plotted without the Earl before, and was 280willing to do so again. She had already communicated once or twice with me. Through Annetje and Pierre, all the doings at the manor-house were reported to her promptly. She was ever watchful and employed half a dozen men to seek out bits of gossip and trace home the vague rumors that were constantly gaining ground—rumors of some mysterious danger that was about to overwhelm the city.

I, too, was on the alert. I had been deeply fired at the patroon’s part, whatever it was, in the death of my sister. Lady Marmaduke had put her own burning spirit into my blood that time she pleaded with me in her own house, that time she thrust her finger into the candle and I smelled the burning flesh. But Miriam had come between us and had dashed all our plans. In her presence I could see nothing but my own shameless duplicity and the effect it would have on her when she discovered my dishonesty.

In the manor-house itself all was at sixes and sevens. Though the patroon seemed much relieved over the death of Meg, I could plainly see that something was on his mind. On the day we had ridden together about his estate he had pointed to the ocean and said that the fortunes of the Red Band lay in that direction. One of the recent rumors concerned the coming of a French fleet. Could he be involved in that? I knew that there had been mysterious comings and goings about the 281manor-house that I had no share in. Were there other seamen to be met with at Wolfert Webber’s tavern? Now that I look back upon these events, I wonder that I did not see the danger that threatened us. But one who is in the midst of things is ever blind.

Louis Van Ramm really held the key to everything, for he shared his master’s most important secrets. It was not till later, however, that I fully understood his character, or why he held back so long. He hated his master and had hated him for years; but Louis had not the power of action. Courage was not wanting in his makeup, but he lacked that power of self-reliance that would enable him to take the initiative in overthrowing the patroon. He knew that I was set on the ruin of Van Volkenberg, and hoped to put the proper cards in my hand, thinking that I would play them freely without let or hindrance.

Such was the confused state of affairs at the time I made my resolution to go to Lady Marmaduke and assert my independence of her service. I should have set off alone for the city that morning had not the patroon sent for me to accompany him to Yorke about ten o’clock in the morning.

I said that Captain Kidd had arrived in the night, though we did not know the fact when we set out. The wind was southerly that morning, and we had not gone far, when it brought us the sound of a gun.

282“Ha,” said the patroon. “Doubtless that is to welcome the Adventure.”

And sure enough it was. Kidd’s ship had been in the bay all night and, as we soon found, was coming up to the town. It had been some hour anchored when the patroon and I rode up to the Slip to look at it.

“A tidy ship,” said the patroon after examining it as thoroughly as he could from the shore. “One that could sail far with a safe crew. New York must furnish him good recruits, St. Vincent.” He laughed in a low, satisfied way, as if at some joke of his own. “Ay, we must serve him with a good crew.”

I had thought that he had ridden to the city on business, but such seemed not to be the case. We set out on our return immediately. To be sure, we did not go directly home, but rode about in a wandering way from street to street, like strangers viewing the town for the first time. All the while my master glanced from side to side, eyeing every person who passed as if he were in search of someone. Suddenly I heard an exclamation. Van Volkenberg drew in his horse just as a stranger stepped out from the stream of passengers at the side of the street. This person was dressed in ordinary clothes, but I knew from his walk that he was a seaman.

“Well, William,” said the patroon, as soon as they had greeted each other, which they did 283warmly, as if they were old friends long parted. “How does New York look to you now?”

“Much as usual. But I see that the privy-council is changed a bit.”

“Ay, changed for the worst.” They both laughed good humoredly. “What else do you notice?”

“Your French County seems to be on the warpath again.”

“Yes, there are rumors to that effect; but I put no faith in them. Still, everyone believes them here. It would be a good thing for the governor to garrison Fort Orange, if only to allay public excitement. It would be easier to stop him at Albany than at any other place.”

At that moment one of Van Volkenberg’s clerks came up and put a paper into his master’s hand.

“I have been looking everywhere for you.”

“Yes,” answered the patroon. “This needs my attention.” Then, turning to the stranger, he continued: “I must back to the warehouse, William. Remember our app............