"The time will come, sir," one of the gentlemen said, "when you will
have reason to regret the line which you have now taken."

"No, sir," Captain Wilson said haughtily. "The time may come when the
line that I have taken may cost me my fortune, and even my life, but
it will never cause me one moment's regret that I have chosen the
part of a loyal English gentleman."

When the deputation had departed Harold, who had been a wondering
listener to the conversation, asked his father to explain to him the
exact position in which matters stood.

It was indeed a serious one. The success of England, in her struggle
with France for the supremacy of North America had cost her a great
deal of money. At home the burdens of the people were extremely
heavy. The expense of the army and navy was great, and the ministry,
in striving to lighten the burdens of the people, turned their eyes
to the colonies. They saw in America a population of over two million
people, subjects of the king, like themselves, living free from rent
and taxes on their own land and paying nothing whatever to the
expenses of the country. They were, it is true, forced to trade with
England, but this obligation was set wholly at naught. A gigantic
system of smuggling was carried on. The custom-house officials had no
force at their disposal which would have enabled them to check these
operations, and the law enforcing a trade with England was virtually
a dead letter.

Their first step was to strengthen the naval force on the American
coast and by additional vigilance to put some sort of check on the