"I fear you are right. His words have afforded the would-be traitors in this land their chief encouragement." "And from what I hear they seem to be having their way in Virginia." "Yes, there's the very old Harry to pay here. Men whose position and interests lie in retaining the old order of things are catering to the rabble for a little temporary advantage. You see, the past few years, the Scotch-Irish immigrants have been pouring into the northwestern part of the colony. By nature and education they are hostile to rightful authority, are Dissenters and opposed to contributing in the way of taxes for the support of the established order." "I understand that the other side, the men who are using these ignorant people for their purposes, have control of the House of Burgesses." "Fools! to think they can scare England by refusing to buy goods of her just because she wishes them to pay a small tax. I've just heard that Colonel Washington met Richard and Francis Lee at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg the other night after the governor, God bless him! had dissolved the Burgesses; that with Tom Jefferson and Patrick Henry they laid their plans for uniting with the rebels in the other colonies. I can't understand of what such men as Washington are thinking. Treason, _pur et simple_, that's what 'twill come to." "Henry is a wonderful orator, they say." "Words, words, and more words. Where he learns 'em all is a mystery, for he'd much rather talk than study. He's infatuated young Jefferson, who's yeoman on his father's side, but who's as smart as he is conceited. What do you suppose that young scamp is trying to accomplish? Nothing less than the ruin of the old families of this Dominion, sir. He would so change our laws that, instead of our estates descending to the eldest son and thus being kept up, they would be divided among the children, as is done in Massachusetts. And he would disestablish the church, he would, by gad, sir!" The squire's face, always florid from high living, was now so purple with passion that his wily nephew, fearing apoplexy, changed the subject. "By the way, uncle, why don't you send Lisbeth to England to finish her education? She's growing to be a handsome woman and surely, if you'll pardon me, your broad acres can yield sufficient to fit her for the high position she'll be called to occupy." "She's but a girl, all I have. She's like her dead mother and I--I can't let her go." "But think what her mother would wish. Go over with her." "I can't leave the estate. The slaves are only to be depended on when they have a capable overseer. Mine is not altogether trustworthy." "Excuse me but I don't think it right for her to associate with servants and people like the Allisons. By the way, who are these Allisons? When riding this afternoon we met the boy and child, and Lisbeth made much of them. Surely they are not of our class."