I will speak before him."

The colonel bade me proceed, avowing that Captain Carvel's son should
have his best assistance.

With that I told them the whole story of Mr. Allen's villany. How I had
been sent to him because of my Whig sentiments, and for thrashing a Tory
schoolmaster and his flock. This made the gentlemen laugh, tho' Captain
Daniel had heard it before. I went on to explain how Mr. Carvel had
fallen ill, and was like to die; and how Mr. Allen, taking advantage of
his weakness when he rose from his bed, had gone to him with the lie of
having converted me. But when I told of the scene between my grandfather
and me at Carvel Hall, of the tears of joy that the old gentleman shed,
and of how he had given me Firefly as a reward, the captain rose from his
chair and looked out of the window into the blackness, and swore a great
oath all to himself. And the expression I saw come into the colonel's
eyes I shall never forget.

"And you feared the consequences upon your grandfather's health?" he
asked gravely.

"So help me God!" I answered, "I truly believe that to have undeceived
him would have proved fatal."

"And so, for the sake of the sum he receives for teaching you," cried the
captain, with another oath, "this scoundrelly clergyman has betrayed you
into a lie. A scheme, by God's life! worthy of a Machiavelli!"

"I have seen too many of his type in our parishes," said Mr. Washington;
"and yet the bishop of London seems powerless. And so used have we