The Road to Paris: A Story of AdventureStephens, Robert Neilson
History
The Road to Paris: A Story of Adventure
Stephens, Robert Neilson
Adventure stories; Historical fiction; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
The greater part of the journey was dampened by a series of April
showers, but when they arrived at Paulus Hook and descended from the
coach, the sun reappeared for a brief display before setting. As they
crossed in the ferry to New York, that English-Dutch-Huguenot seaport
town, in the midst of its hills and trees, seemed to smile upon them.
Looking out towards the bay, with its backing of green heights, Dick got
his first hint of the ocean beyond, and was deeply stirred thereat. In
those days a beach ran at the foot of bluffs that were crowned by
gardens and other grounds behind the spacious residences on the west
side of Broadway. There was no commerce along the North River, all the
Dutch Hudson sloops and the New Jersey boats rounding the point to make
landing in the East River. Dick's gaze, coming in from the bay, past the
green islands, close at hand, rested successively on the fort whose
walls rose from sloping green banks, the governor's garden, the water
ends of crooked streets, the little forest of masts in the East River,
the tiny village of Brooklyn nestling at the foot of the heights on Long
Island, and finally on the ferry landing-place, on which he and Tom
presently set foot. On the recommendation of a fellow passenger on the
ferry, they took lodgings in a small tavern near the Whitehall slip.
During supper Dick was absent-minded and perturbed. He was all afire to
return the miniature to Miss de St. Valier. Tom advised him to wait till
the next day, as it was now quite late. But Dick was fearful the
Canadian party might depart before he could see them. Moreover, the
prospect of again beholding the entrancing Catherine and receiving
thanks from her own lips, although a delicious one, was also
disquieting, and Dick was anxious to face the interview at the earliest
possible moment. He therefore put himself and his clothes into the best
possible appearance, and, while Tom sought the Coffee House, found the
way to the boarding-house in Queen Street at which Gerard de St. Valier
had told him the party would stay. At the door, where he inquired with
much concealed trepidation, a black servant told him the Canadians had
left. His heart sank, but rose again a moment later, when the mistress
of the house, Mrs. Carroll, having overheard, told him the St. Valiers
and Lieutenant Blagdon had gone to the King's Arms Tavern for their last
night in New York, intending to take sloop the next morning for Albany.
It was now dark, the street lamps having been lighted for some time, and
Dick decided that, after all, the morning would be the more suitable
time for approaching the Canadians. Being very tired and desiring to
rise early, he went to bed, and dreamt of the eyes of Miss de St.
Valier.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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