Donald McElroy, Scotch Irishman Part 10

That evening I donned my best, having sent Hector out to purchase a white silk vest embroidered with pink rosebuds, and a white silk, lace trimmed stock, that I might be behind none of the macaronis, nor give the foppish British officers cause to scoff at my provincial appearance.

A man of gentle blood and sound principles needs scant time for acquiring society polish, and by saying little, and watching and listening closely, I soon learned the approved ways of doing the little things. They thought me shy, and kindly left me a good deal to myself, at first. Miss Shippen--a stately, beautiful, and most gracious mannered maiden--called me to her side the second evening, and entered into a conversation in regard to the comedy. "Like you the part of Sir Peter?"

she asked.

"Rather better than any of the others, I think."

"Then I infer you do not find the other characters to your liking?" and she smiled, and glanced sideways at the officer who sat on her other hand.

"The comedy is doubtless a fine satire upon certain gay London circles,"

I replied, "but there are but two characters one can like. Maria, and Sir Peter, and both are shamefully cozened. I must except too the old uncle, he is quite likable."

"And you like not that fascinating rake, Charles Surface, nor delicious Lady Teazle, with her boisterous sn.o.bbery, and her irrepressible good nature? Are you of Quaker faith, Captain McElroy?"

"No, Miss Shippen, I'm a Scotch Irish Presbyterian."

"Then we shall shock you, I fear."

"But whatever may be your religious views, sir, you wish surely to know something of life?" put in the British officer, a well made blonde man with straight nose, and large mouth. "Would you take advantage of your present opportunities, you shall learn things you have not dreamed of in your mountain wilds."

"Adventure has ever appealed to me, sir, and lately my life has been o'er tame," I answered, determined to be no milksop among these British.

"So you do not ask me to go a backbiting with Sir Benjamin, and the rest, there's little you can offer me, promising excitement, that you will not find me ready for."

"Glad am I to hear it, Mr. McElroy--

"Captain McElroy, an' you please; having won my humble t.i.tle by hard service, and not by court favor, I am very proud of it, sir."

"Beg your pardon," somewhat haughtily; "I was about to say I like not a soldier, Captain McElroy, who cants and prays between battles, as did the hypocritical Cromwellians. A gay life in barracks is proper reward for arduous work during a campaign;--to-morrow, an' you will, I shall call to take you to our quarters, where you may lunch with four as jolly good fellows as are to be found in the British army."

I had just a.s.sented to this invitation of Captain Wheaton's, when Miss Shippen introduced me to the latest comer, as Colonel Forbes; he was a small, wiry, swarthy man who had been making the round of the room, and now leaned over Miss Shippen's chair, whispering in her ear.

"One of Morgan's Riflemen, said you, Miss Margaret?" eyeing me with most evident curiosity, as I rose to return his salutation; "a famous leader, and brave troops; they did the work for us at Saratoga. To your colonel and his men belongs the glory of that victory, Captain McElroy--yet I hear it has been filched from you by that braggart Gates, and that Colonel Morgan has not even been accorded a promotion. This so-called Continental Congress knows naught of the art of warfare, nor can recognize the qualities of a true leader, or else it has its favorites whom it is determined to advance, regardless of merit."

Though all this was true, I burned inwardly to hear him say it; determined, however, to repress the rash words which rose to my lips, I set them firmly, folded my arms, and bowed in grave silence.

"Captain Morgan is devotedly loved by his men, I hear," put in Miss Shippen. "Is he very genial with them, Captain McElroy?"

"He treats them as sons, or as brothers; there's not one but would follow him cheerfully to certain death."

"But," said Miss Shippen, "I am much more interested in the comedy, than in any talk of war, or comparison of leaders, for Captain McElroy it is I who am to act Maria--do you not think I'll look and act the character to the life?"

"To perfection, and now I wish I were to play Charles Surface."

"Hear him, Nelly," called Miss Shippen to that young lady, crossing the room to the spinet, attended by half a dozen gallants. "He pretends to wish that he were going to be Charles Surface in our comedy, didst ever hear of such shameless deceit?"

"Or such base ingrat.i.tude, for I see he has already transferred his allegiance--but why should we be surprised by any fresh evidence of masculine perfidy--have we not long since learned that 'Men were deceivers ever'?" and Nelly's manner and tone showed that she would be no amateur upon the stage.

"And women were ever our innocent victims, I suppose. There's not a coquette among you!" jeered Captain Buford, who had just joined our circle, a brown haired Quakeress upon his arm, who was going to sing duets with Miss Nelly.

"We but use nature's weapons for our just defense, Captain Buford,"

answered Miss Shippen. "The more skillful and wary one's enemy, the more adroit one needs be. Women have learned to guard, to parry, and to thrust by long practice in the art of self-defense."

The lunch in Captain Wheaton's quarters the next day was not the last of the entertainments proffered me by my hospitable enemies, especially by Buford's and Wheaton's mess. Not only did I lunch with them, dine with them, and drink with them; I also diced and played with them, and was invited to join their riding parties. Once Wheaton, who seemed to have conceived a liking for me which I returned heartily, carelessly allowed me to inspect with him the city's fortifications, and to see how inadequate they were to resist attack from any strong, well equipped force. Afterwards this incident, which was purely accidental, and seemed of small importance as I thought at the time, counted heavily against me, and proved to be the small silent hinge on which turned the door opening to me the high road of my destiny. Far more important events have turned upon still smaller hinges.

The British soldiers were most of them fine soldiers, and genial comrades, and their treatment of me was all courtesy and kindness.

Through an odd streak of luck attending me, for surely skill had nothing to do with my triumph, I won at nearly all the games of chance so prevalent among them. Quinze, Piquet, Hazard, and other games, besides all sorts of wild betting, were their chief diversions. They even bet at whist, a slow, deep thinking game, well worth the playing without a wager. Whatever the game, I won indifferently, and soon my depleted pockets jingled merrily with English gold pieces.

"The Scotchman's luck" became a proverb in the captain's messes. But in all the dissipation of that time I was watchful never to drink to excess. I am not fanatical against strong drinks, and to this day can find no harm in one's warming and cheering himself with a cup of good sack, or a finger of rum, but it has ever filled me with disgust to see a man's legs wabbling and tangling as he walked, and to hear maudlin words mixing themselves in unintelligible gibberish upon a thick and lolling tongue.

And all this time my infatuation for Nelly Buford took daily stronger possession of me. I spent in her society every hour she would allow me, and became the slave of each of her pretty, womanish caprices. Her deference to me as her captive guest led me on as subtly as her coquetry, and so little skill or wish had I to hide my infatuation, that I must have seemed to all Miss Nelly's acquaintances to stand to her in the att.i.tude of an accepted lover. Once or twice I did venture to tell her that I loved her, but was easily checked by a doubting word, or an attempt to change the subject. Now, at any rate, I considered, I could not ask her to marry me, and to avow my love for other purposes were dishonorable. I yet had not the courage to resign hope, nor the will to see less of her.

My habit to drink sparingly has more than once stood me in good stead, but never more so than at a banquet given to General Howe by the officers, about the first of February, to which I was most graciously invited; and to which, being urged by Buford and Wheaton, I foolishly consented to go. I did not realize the unpleasantness of the position in which I had put myself until the time came for toasts and speeches.

First the health of the king was drunk with enthusiasm, all standing with heads held proudly, and br.i.m.m.i.n.g gla.s.ses tossed high, while a l.u.s.ty cheer went up from many throats. I stood, also, not to make myself conspicuous, but neither drank nor cheered. To General Howe's health, I drank for courtesy's sake, but when "Success to British arms" was proposed, I found my stock of politeness completely exhausted, and sat down abruptly, to the amus.e.m.e.nt of Forbes on my left and the scorn of the officer opposite.

And now began the serious business of the evening; brave soldiers, and cultivated gentlemen set themselves valorously to the task of drinking each other under the table; as gradually they waxed uproarious, free talk was interchanged as to the supposed plans of the British government, and its unswerving determination to subdue the revolting colonies at whatever cost of men or money. Meantime Colonel Forbes and the captain next to him diverted me from the general talk by asking questions as to the part Morgan and his men had taken in the attack against Quebec, and the battles which led to Saratoga; throwing in frequent adroit compliments to the riflemen, and expressions of admiration and sympathy for Colonel Morgan. Finding me noncommittal as to the treatment Arnold and Morgan had received from the Continental Congress, they branched off into an argument meant to convince me of the hopelessness of our cause, and the uselessness of sacrificing life and property by further resistance; declaring that Great Britain was willing to yield all we asked and wanted, short of complete independence, and that only a few fanatics believed that to be possible, or desirable.

To this I responded, with perfect calmness, that nothing less than complete independence from autocratic will would satisfy the American people and that since we could never be conquered at such distance it would be wiser to grant us the independence we claimed and to make of us loyal allies. That we were not warring against the British nation which we honored and esteemed above all other souls, but against the tyrannical notions of the King and his courtiers, themselves aliens to the English blood. That our independence would but hasten theirs and bring the sooner that freedom of the human race and that universal democracy which was the dream of all true men and real patriots. Indeed, I affirmed, waxing more and more enthusiastic for my most cherished belief, "It would yet be the proud privilege of England and America to stand side by side for the cause of liberty and self-government."

Colonel Forbes but laughed at my wild theories and as he got drunker and drunker grew more and more friendly 'til, presently, he wished I were his comrade, since I was too good a fellow for a rebel; and then, with the effusive confidence of a man deep in his cups, began a jumble of protestations and insinuations, hinting at the high honors, and rich emoluments which awaited me if I would only consent to give up my foolish devotion to rebellion and become once more a loyal British subject.

I thought his talk but the foolish babble of a drunken man, and turned it aside with jest and banter.

When presently the more sober arose to depart, the officer who had sat next to Colonel Forbes, and who, since the latter had waxed so confidential, had lapsed into silence, took me by the arm and asked me to go with him to a small cloak room adjoining the banqueting hall.

"Captain McElroy," he said when we were seated and alone, "Colonel Forbes has prematurely made you an offer we have been contemplating for some days, and in regard to which I was authorized to sound you. We have good reason to believe there is an officer in the rebel ranks well affected to our cause; we need some one who can freely communicate with him--if you will consent to help us, a captain's commission in the British army, with promise of speedy promotion, and any sum of ready money you may name is yours. Only sign this paper, and the compact is closed."

I took the paper he handed me, opened and read it, then rose to my feet, and slowly tore it into bits, throwing them, as I did so, into the fire.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "YOU HAVE EVIDENTLY MISTAKEN ME FOR A VILLAIN."]

"Captain Forsythe," I said, while my hand and my voice shook with the strain I put upon myself to control my anger, "you and others have evidently mistaken me for a villain of that low and despicable type capable of treason to his country. For the present I condone the insult for the sake of other British officers who have seemed to consider me a man of honor. I bid you good night, sir," and reaching for cloak and hat, I hastened into the street, where the freshness and purity of the early morning air and the calming message of the steadfast stars--shining on in their clear, soft beauty, whether men pray and sleep like Christians, or dice and plot, and drink like devils, on the changeful earth beneath them--cooled my fevered brow, and helped me to restrain a seething desire to take violent vengeance upon my insulter.

But I realized clearly the foolhardiness of such course, and moreover the ingrat.i.tude and disrespect to my friends it would seem to imply.

CHAPTER X

The second evening after the banquet was the one set for the performance of our carefully rehea.r.s.ed comedy, and all the Tory society of Philadelphia was agog with interest and curiosity to see the latest London hit, played by the belles of the city and the most popular of the British officers. I was told, moreover, that the story had gone abroad that the part of Sir Peter would be taken by a youthful Virginia mountaineer, whose giant proportions and unusual gifts of person and bearing--considering his backwoods breeding--made him the feature of the performance. I was no little annoyed by this talk, though I credited Wheaton, who retailed it to me, with a good deal of bantering exaggeration. In truth, being still sore from the insult offered me at the banquet, I wanted to throw up my part; but, after consideration of the difficulties it would entail upon my entertainers, and others who had been courteous to me, I forced myself to stick to my role cheerfully, and to do my best at it.

Rigged out in all the toggery of a stage Sir Peter, I presented myself to Miss Nelly. "Perfect," she exclaimed taking me by the elbow with the tips of her fingers, and slowly turning me around at arm's length, while she inspected critically my pompous finery. "Now must they all admit that there's not so handsome a figure of a man in the British army," and she nodded approval bewitchingly, with her puffed, powdered, and plumed head. She was altogether charming in her rich brocade gown and yellow laces, and I managed to tell her so in words that pleased her.

The play was p.r.o.nounced a London success, and the players universally complimented. Twice were Lady Teazle and Sir Peter called before the curtain, and such flattering compliments were showered upon me in the green room that I was quite puffed with vanity and forgot my inward soreness. After the performance, Colonel Forbes entertained the players at a supper where sherry, Burgundy, and sparkling white wines of France were as free as spring water. Wheaton was made to sing his. .h.i.t of the evening--Sheridan's jolly drinking song over again, and did so with even better voice and expression.

"Here's to the maiden of bashful fifteen, Here's to the widow of fifty, Here's to the flaunting, extravagant queen And here's to the housewife that's thrifty.