"They left us in the very oncoming of the battle; as soon as Lord Howe
came in sight--sailed away to the West Indies, where they had plans of
their own to carry out. The indignation of our army was beyond
description; no one but Washington could at this time have kept peace
between the French and American soldiers. Their jealousy was flaming,
and Washington could not help saying he wished there was not a foreigner
in the army but Lafayette. But when Necessity compels, it becomes
Destiny, eh, Agnes?"

"Yes. I think England must now be in a very dangerous predicament,
Harry."

"She has thirteen colonies in revolt; France, Spain, Holland, uniting
against her, and a large majority of her own people conspicuously in our
favor. Our old mother-country! I am sorry for her, for she _is ours_,
and we are her sons, even though we have been compelled to rebel against
her."

"I think it is England that has rebelled against us," said Agnes. "She
has repudiated our chartered rights, and made us aliens to the laws and
privileges which are our natural heritage. England is traitor to
America, and I don't see why you should be sorry for her.""Do you think the English blood can ever be taken out of my heart? No. I want our independence, nothing less will satisfy us now; but I don't want to see three other nations interfering in our family quarrel. If you had a noble old mastiff that you liked, and saw him attacked by three strange dogs, how would you feel?" 

"Well, Harry, if the mastiff was harming me, I might feel obliged to the strange dogs. I understand why France, Spain, and Holland are fighting England at this opportunity, but I am surprised that Englishmen, living in England, are on our side." 

"They have been on our side from the beginning. The King couldn't find soldiers to fight against us. They see us as their countrymen. They don't consider this as an 'English' war but as 'The King's War', and they view our victories as triumphs for representative government. Even Judge Curwen of Boston visited a factory in Birmingham making rifles for the English troops in America and found the proprietor and all the workers fervently on our side. The Whig party in England even adopted blue and buff colors inspired by Washington's 

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