“Ye’ve clear surprised my breath out of my windpipe,” returned the squire.  “Who ’d have thought to find ye here?”

“And where else should I be, but where there ’s an army to be fed, and crops to feed them?  I’ faith, never was there a richer harvest field for one who knows how to garner it.  Why, man, aside from the captures of tobacco, now worth a great price, and other gains, over six thousand pounds I’ve made in the last two years, by shipping niggers, who think they are escaping to freedom, to our West India islands, and selling them to the planters there.  This war is a perfect gold mine.

“Little of that it ’s been to me,” lamented his listener.

“Ye can make it such, an’ it please ye.  She perceived me not, but I saw your daughter as ye rode up, and though I thought myself well cured of the infatuation, poof! one gloat was enough to set my blood afire, as if I were but a boy of eighteen again.  Lord Clowes, with a cool ninety thousand, is ready to make her fortune and yours.”

“Nay, Clowes, ye know I’ve passed my word to Hennion, and—­”

“Who’ll not outlive the war, ye may make sure.  The fellow ’s made himself known through the army by the way he puts himself forward in every engagement.  Some one of these devilish straight-shooting riflemen will release that promise for ye.”

“I trust not; but if it so falls, there ’d still be a bar to your wish.  The girl dislikes ye very—­”

“Dost not know that is no bad beginning?  Nay, man, see if I bring her not round, once I have a clear field.  I’ve thought it out even now while I’ve waited for ye.  We’ll sail for New York on one of the ships that carries Lord Cornwallis’s reinforcements to Clinton, and as ’t will be some years still ere the country is entirely subdued, out of the question ’t will be that ye go to Greenwood.  I will resign my post, being now rich enough, and we’ll all go to London, where I’ll take a big house, and ye shall be my guests.  Once let the girl taste of high life, with its frocks and jewels and carriages, and all that tempts the sex, and she’ll quickly see their provider in a new light.”

“’T is little ye know of my lass, Clowes.”

“Tush!  I know women to the very bottom; and is she more than a woman?”

Their conference was ended by the call to supper, and in the hallway the baron attempted as hearty a greeting with the ladies as he had with the squire.  Though taken by surprise, a distant curtsey was all he gained from them, and do his best, he could get little of their conversation during the meal.

On rising, Philemon, who had been a guest at table, drew the squire to one side.  “The legion is ordered on a foray to destroy the military stores at Albemarle Court-house, and in this hot weather we try to do our riding at night, to spare our cattle, so we shall start away about eleven o’clock.  His Lordship tells me that the army will begin to fall down to the coast in a day or two, so it may be a some time before I see you again.  Have you money?”