You may be sure I conned these few brave words till I had them well byheart; and later, when my voice was surer and my eyes less dim, Isummoned Darius and bade him tell me all he knew. And it was thus Ilearned what I have here set down of my father's end.
The next day, all indecision gone, I rode to Queensborough to ascertain,if so I might, how best to throw the weight of the good old Andrea intothe patriot scale, meaning to push on thence to Charlotte when I had gotthe bearings of the nearest patriot force.
'Twas none so easy to learn what I needed to know; though, now I soughtfor information, a curious thing or two developed. One was that thislight-horse outpost in our hamlet was far in advance of the army ofinvasion--so far that it was dangersomely isolated, and beyond support.Another was the air of secrecy maintained, and the holding of the troopin instant readiness for fight or flight.
Why this little handful of British regulars should stick and hang so farfrom Lord Cornwallis's main, which was then well down upon the Wateree,I could not guess. But for the secrecy and vigilance there were goodreasons and sufficient. The patriot militia had been called out, and wasembodying under General Rutherford but a few miles distant nearCharlotte.
I had this information in guarded whispers from mine host of the tavern,and was but a moment free of the tap-room, when I first saw MargeryStair and so drank of the cup of trembling with madness in its lees.She was riding, unmasked, down the high road, not on a pillion as mostwomen rode in that day, but upon her own mount with a black groom twolengths in the rear. I can picture her for you no better than I couldfor Richard Jennifer; but this I know, that even this first sight of hermoved me strangely, though the witching beauty of her face and theproudness of it were more a challenge than a beckoning.
A blade's length at my right where I was standing in front of thetavern, three redcoat officers lounged at ease; and to one of them mylady tossed a nod of recognition, half laughing, half defiant. I turnedquickly to look at the favored one. He stood with his back to me; a manof about my own bigness, heavy-built and well-muscled. He wore abob-wig, as did many of the troop officers, but his uniform wastailor-fine, and the hand with which he was resettling his hat wasbejeweled--overmuch bejeweled, to my taste.
Something half familiar in the figure of him made me look again. In theact he turned, and then I saw his face--saw and recognized it thoughnine years lay between this and my last seeing of it across the body ofRichard Coverdale.
"So!" thought I. "My time has come at last." And while I was yet turningover in my mind how best to bait him, the lady passed out of earshot,and I heard him say to the two, his comrades, that foul thing which Iwould not repeat to Jennifer; a vile boast with which I may not soil mypage here for you.
"Oh, come, Sir Frank! that's too bad!" cried the younger of the twain;and then I took two strides to front him fairly.
"Sir Francis Falconnet, you are a foul-lipped blackguard!" I said; and,lest that should not be enough, I smote him in the face so that he felllike an ox in the shambles.
The Master of Appleby Page 4