benevolent expression of feeling as before, she continued, as her own
face lighted into one of its animated and bright smiles of intelligence,
"but not at the expense of the rights of my countrymen."

"Rights!" repeated her sister, impatiently; "whose rights can be
stronger than those of a sovereign: and what duty is clearer, than to
obey those who have a natural right to command?"

"None, certainly," said Frances, laughing with great pleasantry; and,
taking the hand of her sister affectionately within both of her own, she
added, with a smile directed towards Harper,--

"I gave you to understand that my sister and myself differed in our
political opinions; but we have an impartial umpire in my father, who
loves his own countrymen, and he loves the British,--so he takes sides
with neither."

"Yes," said Mr. Wharton, in a little alarm, eying first one guest, and
then the other; "I have near friends in both armies, and I dread a
victory by either, as a source of certain private misfortune."

"I take it, you have little reason to apprehend much from the Yankees,
in that way," interrupted the guest at the table, coolly helping himself
to another glass, from the bottle he had admired.

"His majesty may have more experienced troops than the continentals,"
answered the host fearfully, "but the Americans have met with
distinguished success."

Harper disregarded the observations of both; and, rising, he desired to