to cap the noble army wi' the English Puritans fighting under Cromwell
for civil and religious liberty."

"And gudeman!" cried Janet, all in a tremble of enthusiasm, "General
Washington is at this very time wearing a broad blue ribbon across his
breast;" and there was such a light in her eyes, and such pride in her
voice, the Elder could not say the words that were on his tongue; he
magnanimously passed by her remark and returned to his friend, Joris Van
Heemskirk. "Blue or red," he continued, "we had a wonderfu' hour, and
when we came to part that night we had no need to take each other's
hands; we had been walking hand-in-hand together like twa laddies, and
we did not know it."

"You'll have many a happy day with your friend yet, gudeman; Joris Van
Heemskirk will come hame again."

"He will hae a sair heart when he sees his hame, specially his garden."

"He will hae something in his heart to salve all losses and all wrongs;
but I wonder Joanna doesna take better care o' her father's place."

"She canna work miracles. I thought when I got her there as tenant o'
the King, she would keep a' things as they were left; but Batavius has
six or eight soldiers boarding there--low fellows, non-commissioned
officers and the like o' them--and the beautiful house is naething but
barricks in their sight; and as for the garden, what do they care for
boxwood and roses? They dinna see a thing beyond their victuals, and
liquor, and the cards and dominoes in their hands. Joanna has mair than
she can manage."

"Didn't Batavius sell his house on the East river?"

"Of course he did--to the Government--made a good thing of it; then he
got into his father-in-law's house as a tenant of the Government. I
don't think he ever intends to move out of it. When the war is over he
will buy it for a trifle, as confiscated property."

"He'll do naething o' the kind! He'll never, never, never buy it. You
may tak' my solemn word for that, Alexander Semple."

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