“Ah, Vincent,” said the patroon when I entered, “I have been ill since yesterday, and Louis tells me that you have been hard used yourself. Tell me all about it.” He made me go through with every detail from the beginning to the end. I could see the nervous anxiety in his face, and I could guess the drift of his thoughts when he questioned me concerning the appearance of my assailants. He was utterly confused by the discrepancy between what he remembered and what he had been told. Yet he often recovered from these attacks with wild memories in his mind, and he could not tell whether this was one of them or not. To tell his suspicions truly, would be to say that he had meditated my murder. Patroon Van Volkenberg was too wary a man to disclose his inmost thoughts. I knew all this was passing in his mind, and that in my replies about the appearance of my assailants, he hoped to recognize himself or Louis. But I took care of that and managed to allay his suspicions for the moment, though what his future plans were I never knew. “We must complain of this treatment to the Earl,” he said. “Now, tell me what happened before, when you rode to the city with my daughter. How did you fare? What did you hear? Did she learn anything of what is said of me in Yorke?” I told him many of the details of our ride, especially about the meeting with the Earl, but he was not satisfied. “Did you hear nothing as you rode along? Nothing of what is said of me?” “Yes, something,” I answered slowly. “But it was not about you. I heard rumors, but they seemed to have slight significance. While we were standing on the Slip, two of the gray coated soldiers—” “Ay, the governor’s guard; what did they say?” “There is a fear in the city that something is going to happen. Omens have been observed. A wall fell towards the north against a high wind. A bright light was seen in the northern sky three nights ago. These things are causing much excitement.” “Excitement at what? What conclusions do they draw?” “I could not hear; someone spoke of an invasion.” “Fools! It will not come from the north. Pardon my heat. The County Frontenac is no such fool. He has tried the wilderness before and failed. No, it will not come from the north.” “Yet,” said I, “if the French count has tried the wilderness before, why may he not try it again? If I were the Earl of Bellamont, I should look to the defense of Albany.” “Albany! Why yes, Albany to be sure; Albany is the thing. I should defend Albany at all hazards. By my faith, that is an idea, my Vincent. I should advise the Earl myself, but I am not in the council now. God’s curse upon that man Le Bourse.” I wished to change the subject, now that it drew so near myself, and I wished also to say a word for Miriam. So I spoke of the Red Band. “Your instructions to guard your daughter’s ears make me wonder that you do not see that she must learn all this some day.” “All this? What do you mean by that?”