Chapter 14

"My beautiful! my beautiful! that standest meekly by,
With thy proudly arch'd and glossy neck, and dark and fiery eye--

"Thus, thus I leap upon thy back, and scour the distant plains:
Away! who overtakes me now, shall claim thee for his pains."

_The Arab to his Steed_.

Bulstrode seemed happy to meet me, complaining that I had quite forgotten
the satisfaction with which all New York, agreeably to his account of the
matter, had received me the past spring. Of course, I thanked him for his
civility; and we soon became as good friends as formerly. In a minute or
two, Mary Wallace joined us, and we all repaired to the breakfast-table,
where we were soon joined by Dirck, who had been detained by some affairs
of his own.

Herman Mordaunt and Bulstrode had the conversation principally to
themselves for the first few minutes. Mary Wallace was habitually silent;
but Anneke, without being loquacious, was sufficiently disposed to
converse. This morning, however, she said little beyond what the civilities
of the table required from the mistress of the house, and that little in as
few words as possible. Once or twice I could not help remarking that her
hand remained on the handle of a richly-chased tea-pot, after that hand
had performed its office; and that her sweet, deep blue eye was fixed on
vacancy, or on some object before her with a vacant regard, in the manner
of one that thought intensely. Each time as she recovered from these little
_reveries_, a slight flush appeared on her face, and she seemed anxious to
conceal the involuntary abstraction. This absence of mind continued until
Bulstrode, who had been talking with our host on the subject of the
movements of the army, suddenly directed his discourse to me.

"I hope we owe this visit to Albany," he said, "to an intention on your
part, Mr. Littlepage, to make one among us in the next campaign. I hear of
many gentlemen of the colonies who intend to accompany us in our march to
Quebec."

"That is somewhat farther than I had thought of going Mr. Bulstrode,"
was my answer, "inasmuch as I have never supposed the king's forces
contemplated quite so distant a march. It is the intention of Mr. Follock
and myself to get permission to attach ourselves to some regiment and to go
forward as far as Ticonderoga, at least; for we do not like the idea of
the French holding a post like that, so far within the limits of our own
province."

"Bravely said, sir; and I trust I shall be permitted to be of some
assistance when the time comes to settle details. Our mess would always be
happy to see you; and you know that I am at its head, since the Lt. Colonel
has left us."

I returned