CHAPTER IX.

At the especial invitation of Captain Molineux, Gerald
Grantham dined at the garrison mess, on the evening of
the day when the circumstances, detailed in our last
chapter, took place. During dinner the extraordinary
adventure of the morning formed the chief topic of
conversation, for it had become one of general interest,
not only throughout the military circles, but in the town
of Amherstburg itself, in which the father of the Granthams
had been held in an esteem amounting almost to veneration.
Horrible as had been the announcement made by the dejected
and discomfited settler to him who now, for the first
time, learnt that his parent had fallen a victim to
ruffian vindictiveness, too many years had elapsed since
that event, to produce more than the ordinary emotion
which might be supposed to be awakened by a knowledge
rather of the manner than the fact of his death. Whatever
therefore might have been the pain inflicted on the hearts
of the brothers, by this cruel re-opening of a partially
closed wound, there was no other evidence of suffering
than the suddenly compressed lip and glistening eye,
whenever allusion was made to the villain with whom each
felt he had a fearful account to settle. Much indeed of
the interest of the hour was derived from the animated
account, given by Gerald, of the circumstances which had