He wandered back to his shop utterly miserable and restless and wrote a letter to Thomas Curtis, a clever lawyer, and a partner of Neil Semple, explaining the position of his son and begging him to be at the Court of Police when it opened. This letter he carried to the lawyer's office and paid the boy in attendance to deliver it immediately on the arrival of his master. Then he went back to his shop for money, and as he was slowly leaving the place Lord Medway spoke to him. He had his rifle over his shoulder and was going with a friend to Long Island to shoot birds. The sight of the man made John Bradley's heart leap and burn. He had been waiting for some leading as to the way he ought to take, and he felt that it had been given him. "Good morning, Mr. Bradley," said the nobleman. "My lord, turn back with me to my shop. I have something of the greatest importance to tell you." Medway smiled: "My hunting is of the greatest importance at present, Mr. Bradley, for my friend, Colonel Pennington, is waiting for me; but if I can be of service----" "I think you can; at least, listen to me." Medway bent his head in acquiescence, and Bradley led the way to the small room behind his shop, which had been his sitting and dining room while his daughter was at school. He plunged at once into the subject of his anxieties. "There was a prisoner taken last night." "A young man in a boat; I heard of it. General Clinton thinks they may have made an important arrest." "He is my son--my only son! I did not know until an hour ago that he was in America. I sent him to England at the beginning of the war--to a fine school there--and I thought he was safe; and he has been here, one of Washington's scouts, carrying messages from camp to camp, in and out of New York in all kinds of disguises, spreading reports and gathering reports, buying medicines, and clothing, and what not; doing, in short, duties which in every case were life and death matters. For three years or more he has done these things safely; last night he was discovered." "And you thought he was in England, safe and comfortable, and learning his lessons?" "I did, and thanked God for it." "Now, I would offer thanks for the other things. If I were an American it would gladden my heart to have a son like that. The young man thinks he has been doing his duty; be a little proud of him. I'll be bound he deserves it. Who arrested him?" "Some soldiers from the Highland regiment." "How did they happen to know? Could Macpherson have informed? Oh, impossible! What am I saying? Where was he taken?" "At Elder Semple's landing." "You confound me, Bradley. I will stake my honor on the Semples's loyalty--father and son both. What was he doing there?" "He had the old reason for calamity--a woman. He is in love with the Elder's granddaughter, and Agnes thinks he must have landed hoping to see her." "You mean, he had a tryst with her?" "I only surmise. I can tell nothing surely."