[figure description] Page 018.[end figure description]

Five minutes longer on the ice of the main channel, and
we should have been swept away. Even as we still sat
looking at the frightful force of the swift current, as well as
the dim light of that clouded night would permit, I saw Guert
Ten Eyck's sleigh whirl past us; and, only a minute later,
Herman Mordaunt's followed; the poor, exhausted beasts
struggling in the harness for freedom, that they might swim
for their lives. Anneke heard the snorting of those wretched
horses; but her unpractised eyes did not detect them, immersed,
as they were, in the current; nor had she recognised
the sleigh that whirled past us, as her father's. A
little later, a fearful shriek came from one of the fettered
beasts; such a heart-piercing cry as it is known the horse
often gives. I said nothing on the subject, knowing that
love for her father was one of the great incentives which had
aroused my companion to exertion; and being unwilling to
excite fears that were now latent.

Two or three minutes of rest were all that circumstances
permitted. I could see that everything visible on the river,
was in motion downwards; the piles of ice on which we
were placed, as well as the cakes that glanced by us, in
their quicker descent. Our own motion was slow, on account
of the mass which doubtless pressed on the shoals of
the west side of the river; as well as on account of the friction
against the lateral fields of ice, and occasionally against
the shore. Still, we were in motion; and I felt the necessity,
on every account, of getting as soon as possible on the

[figure description] Page 019.[end figure description]

western verge of our floating island, in order to profit by any
favourable occurrence that might offer.

Dear Anneke! — How admirably did she behave that
fearful night! From the moment she regained her entire
consciousness, after I found her praying in the bottom of the
sleigh, down to that instant, she had been as little of an encumbrance
to my own efforts, as was at all possible. Reasonable,
resolute, compliant, and totally without any ill-timed
exhibition of womanly apprehension, she had done all she
was desired to do unhesitatingly, and with intelligence.
In ascending that pile of ice, by no means an easy task
under any circumstances, we had acted in perfect concert;
every effort of mine being aided by one of her own, directed
by my advice and greater experience.

“God has not deserted us, dearest Anneke,” I said, now
that my companion's strength appeared to have returned,
“and we may yet hope to escape. I can anticipate the joy
we shall bring to your father's heart, when he again takes
you to his arms, safe and uninjured.”

“Dear, dear father!—What agony he must now be suffering
on my account. — Come, Corny, let us go to him at
once, if it be possible.”

As this was said, the precious girl arose, and adjusted her
tippet in a way that should cause her no encumbrance; like
one ready to set about the execution of a serious task with
all her energies. The muff had been dropped on the river;
for neither of us had any sensibility to cold. The night,
however, was quite mild, for the season; and we probably
should not have suffered, had our exertions been less violent.
Anneke declared herself ready to proceed, and I commenced
the difficult and delicate task of aiding her across an island
composed of icy fragments, in order to reach its western
margin. We were quite thirty feet in the air; and a fall
into any of the numerous caverns, among which we had to
proceed, might have been fatal; certainly would have crippled
the sufferer. Then the surface of the ice was so smooth
as to render walking on it an exceedingly delicate operation;
more especially as the cakes lay at all manner of inclinations
to the plane of the horizon. Fortunately, I wore buckskin
moccasins over my boots; and their rough leather
aided me greatly in maintaining my footing. Anneke, too,

[figure description] Page 020.[end figure description]

had socks of cloth; without which, I do not think, she could
have possibly moved. By these aids, however, and by proceeding
with the utmost caution, we had actually succeeded
in attaining our object, when the floating mass shot into an
eddy, and, turning slowly round, under this new influence,
placed us on the outer side of the island again! Not a
murmur escaped Anneke, at this disappointment; but, with
a sweetness of temper that spoke volumes in favour of her
natural disposition, and a resignation that told her training,
she professed a readiness to renew her efforts. To this I
would not consent, however; for I saw that the eddy was
still whirling us about; and I thought it best to escape from
its influence altogether, before we threw away our strength
fruitlessly. Instead of re-crossing the pile, therefore, I told
my fair companion that we would descend to a cake that
lay level on the water, and which projected from the
mass to such a distance, as to be close to the shore, should we
again get near it. This descent was made, after some
trouble, though I was compelled to receive Anneke entirely
into my arms, in order to effect it. Effect it I did; placing
the sweet girl safely at my side, on the outermost and lowest
of all the cakes in our confused pile.

In some respects this change was for the better; while
it did not improve our situation in others. It placed both
Anneke and myself behind a shelter, as respected the wind;
which, though neither very strong nor very cold, had
enough of March about it to render the change acceptable.
It took my companion, too, from a position where motion
was difficult, and often dangerous; leaving her on a level,
even spot, where she could walk with ease and security, and
keep the blood in motion by exercise. Then it put us both
in the best possible situation to profit by any contact with
that shore, along and near which our island was now slowly
moving.

There could no longer be any doubt of the state of the
river in general. It had broken up; spring had come, like
a thief in the night; and the ice below having given way,
while the mass above had acquired too much power to be
resisted, everything was set in motion; and, like the death
of the strong man, the disruption of fields in themselves so
thick and adhesive, had produced an agony surpassing the

[figure description] Page 021.[end figure description]

usual struggle of the seasons. Nevertheless, the downward
motion had begun in earnest, and the centre of the river
was running like a sluice, carrying away, in its current,
those masses which had just before formed so menacing an
obstacle above.

Luckily, our own pile was a little aside from the great
downward rush. I have since thought, that it touched the
bottom, which caused it to turn, as well as retarded its
movement. Be this as it might, we still remained in a little
bay, slowly turning in a circle; and glad was I to see our
low cake coming round again, in sight of the western shore.
The moment now demanded decision; and I prepared Anneke
to meet it. A large, low, level cake had driven up on
the shore, and extended out so far as to promise that our
own cake would touch it, in our evolutions. I knew that
the ice, in general, had not broken in consequence of any
weakness of its own, but purely under the weight of the enormous
pressure from above, and the mighty force of the current;
and that we ran little, or no risk, in trusting our persons
on the uttermost limits of any considerable fragment.
A station was taken, accordingly, near a projection of the
cake we were on; when we waited for the expected contact.
At such moments, the slightest disappointment carries with
it the force of the greatest circumstances. Several times
did it appear, to us, that our island was on the point of
touching the fastened cake, and as often did it incline aside;
at no time coming nearer than within six or eight feet. This
distance it would have been easy enough, for me to leap
across, but, to Anneke, it was a barrier as impassable as
the illimitable void. The sweet girl saw this; and, she
acted like herself, under the circumstances. She took my
hand, pressed it, and said earnestly, and with patient sweetness—

“You see how it is, Corny; I am not permitted to escape;
but you can easily reach the shore. Go, then, and leave
me in the hands of Providence. Go; I never can forget
what you have already done; but it is useless to perish together!”

I have never doubted that Anneke was perfectly sincere
in her wish that I should, at least, save my own life. The
feeling with which she spoke; the despair that was coming

[figure description] Page 022.[end figure description]

over her; and the movement of our island, which, at that
moment, gave signs of shooting away from the shore, altogether,
roused me to a sudden, and certainly, to a very bold
attempt. I tremble, even at this distance of time, as I write
the particulars. A small cake of ice was floating in between
us and that which lay firmly fastened to the shore. Its
size was such as to allow it to pass between the two; though
not without coming nearly, if not absolutely, in contact with
one, if not with both. I observed all this; and, saying one
word of encouragement to Anneke, I passed an arm around
her waist—waited the proper moment—and sprang forward.
It was necessary to make a short leap, with my precious
burthen on my arm, in order to gain this floating bridge;
but it was done, and successfully. Scarcely permitting Anneke's
foot to touch this frail support, which was already
sinking under our joint weight, I crossed it at two or three
steps, and threw all my power into a last and desperate
effort. I succeeded here, also; and fell, upon the firmer
cake, with a heart filled with gratitude to God. The touch
told me that we were safe; and, in the next instant, we
reached the solid ground. Under such circumstances, one
usually looks back to examine the danger he has just gone
through. I did so; and saw that the floating cake of ice
had already passed down, and was out of reach; while the
mass that had been the means of saving us, was slowly following,
under some new impulse, received from the furious
currents of the river. But we were saved; and most devoutly
did I thank my God, who had mercifully aided our
escape from perils so imminent.

I was compelled to wait for Anneke, who fell upon her
knees, and remained there quite a minute, before I could aid
her in ascending the steep acclivity which formed the western
bank of the Hudson, at this particular point. We
reached the top, however, after a little delay, and pausing
once or twice to take breath; when we first became really
sensible of the true character of the scene from which we
had been delivered. Dim as was the light, there was enough
to enable us to overlook a considerable reach of the river,
from that elevated stand. The Hudson resembled chaos
rushing headlong between the banks. As for the cakes of
ice—some darting past singly, and others piled as high as

[figure description] Page 023.[end figure description]

houses—of course, the stream was filled with such; but, a
large, dark object was seen coming through that very channel,
over which Anneke and I had stood, less than an
hour before, sailing down the current with fearful rapidity.
It was a house; of no great size, it is true, but large enough
to present a singular object on the river. A bridge, of some
size, followed; and a sloop, that had been borne away from
the wharves of Albany, soon appeared in the strange assemblage,
that was thus suddenly collected on this great artery
of the colony.

But the hour was late; Anneke was yet to care for; it
was necessary to seek a shelter. Still supporting my lovely
companion, who now began to express her uneasiness on
account of her father, and her other friends, I held the way
inland; knowing that there was a high road parallel to the
river, and at no great distance from it. We reached the
highway, in the course of ten minutes, and turned our faces
northward, as the direction which led towards Albany. We
had not advanced far before I heard the voices of men, who
were coming towards us; and glad was I to recognise that
of Dirck Follock among the number. I called aloud, and
was answered by a shout of exultation, which, as I afterwards
discovered, spontaneously broke out of his mouth,
when he recognised the form of Anneke. Dirck was powerfully
agitated when we joined him; I had never, previously,
seen anything like such a burst of feeling from him; and it
was some time before I could address him.

“Of course, your whole party is safe?” I asked, a little
doubtingly; for I had actually given up all who had been in
Herman Mordaunt's sleigh for lost.

“Yes, thank God! all but the sleigh and horses. But
where are Guert Ten Eyck and Miss Wallace?”

“Gone ashore on the other side of the river; we parted,
and they took that direction, while we came hither.” I said
this to quiet Anneke's fears; but I had misgivings about
their having got off the river at all. “But let me know the
manner of your own escape.”

Dirck then gave us a history of what had passed; the whole
party turning back to accompany us, as soon as I told them
that their errand—a search for the horses—was useless.
The substance of what we heard was as follows:—In the

[figure description] Page 024.[end figure description]

first effort to reach the western shore, Herman Mordaunt
had been met by the very obstacle which Guert had foreseen,
and he turned south, hoping to find some spot at which to
land, by going farther from the dam that had formed above.
After repeated efforts, and having nearly lost his sleigh and
the whole party, a point was reached at which Herman
Mordaunt determined to get his female companion on shore,
at every hazard. This was to be done only by crossing
floating cakes of ice, in a current that was already running
at the rate of four or five miles in the hour. Dirck was left
in charge of the horses while the experiment was made; but
seeing the adventurers in great danger, he flew to their assistance—
when the whole party were immersed, though not
in deep water. Left to themselves, and alarmed with the
floundering in the river and the grinding of the cakes, Herman
Mordaunt's bays went off in the confusion. Mrs.
Bogart was assisted to the land, and was helped to reach
the nearest dwelling — a comfortable farm-house, about a
quarter of a mile beyond the point where we had met the
party. There Mrs. Bogart had been placed in a warm bed,
and the gentlemen were supplied with such dry clothes as
the rustic wardrobe of these simple people could furnish.
The change made, Dirck was on his way to ascertain what
had become of the sleigh and horses, as has been mentioned.

On inquiry, I found that the spot where Anneke and
myself had landed was quite three miles below the island on
which Guert and I had drawn the sleigh. Nearly the whole
of this distance had we floated with the pile of broken ice, in
the short time we were on it; a proof of the furious rate at
which the current was setting downward. No one had
heard anything of Guert and Mary; but I encouraged my
companion to believe that they were necessarily safe on the
other shore. I certainly deemed this to be very questionable,
but there was no use in anticipating evil.

On reaching the farm-house, Herman Mordaunt's delight
and gratitude may more easily be imagined than described.
He folded Anneke to his heart, and she wept like an infant
on his bosom. Nor was I forgotten in this touching scene,
but came in for a full share of notice.

“I want no details, noble young man—” I am professing
to write the truth, and must be excused for relating such

[figure description] Page 025.[end figure description]

things as these, but — “I want no details, noble young
man,” said Herman Mordaunt, squeezing my hand, “to feel
certain that, under God, I owe my child's life, for the second
time, to you. I wish to Heaven!—but, no matter—it is now
too late—some other way may and must offer. I scarce
know what I say, Littlepage; but what I mean is, to express
faintly, some small portion of the gratitude I feel, and to let
you know how sensibly and deeply your services are felt
and appreciated.”

The reader may think it odd, that this incoherent, but
pregnant speech, made little impression on me at the time,
beyond the grateful conviction of having really rendered the
greatest of all services to Anneke and her father; though I
had better occasion to remember it afterwards.

It is unnecessary to dwell more particularly on the occurrences
at the farm-house. The worthy people did what they
could to make us comfortable, and we were all warm in bed,
in the course of the next half-hour.

On the following morning a wagon was harnessed, and
we left these simple countrymen and women—who refused
everything like compensation, as a matter of course—and
proceeded homeward. I have heard it said that we Americans
are mercenary: it may be so, but not a man, probably,
exists in the colonies, who would accept money for such assistance.
We were two hours in reaching Albany, on
wheels; and entered the place about ten, in a very different
style from that in which we had quitted it the day before.
As we drove along, the highway frequently led us to points
that commanded views of the river, and we had so many
opportunities of noting the effects of the freshet. Of ice,
very little remained. Here and there a cake or a pile was
seen still adhering to the shore, and occasionally fragments
floated downwards; but, as a rule, the torrent had swept all
before it. I particularly took notice of the island on which
we had sought refuge. It was entirely under water, but its
outlines were to be traced by the bushes which lined its low
banks. Most of the trees on its upper end were cut down,
and all that grew on it would unquestionably have gone, had
not the dam given way as early as it did. A great number
of trees had been broken down on all the islands; and large
tops and heavy trunks were still floating in the current, that

[figure description] Page 026.[end figure description]

were lately tenants of the forest, and had been violently
torn from their places.

We found all the lower part of Albany, too, under water.
Boats were actually moving through the streets; a considerable
portion of its inhabitants having no other means of
communicating with their neighbours. A sloop of some size
lay up on one of the lowest spots; and, as the water was
already subsiding, it was said she would remain there until
removed by the shipwrights. Nobody was drowned in the
place; for it is not usual for the people of these colonies to
remain in their beds, at such times, to await the appearance
of the enemy in at their windows. We often read of such
accidents destroying hundreds in the Old World; but, in the
New, human life is of too much account to be unnecessarily
thrown away, and so we make some efforts to preserve it.

As we drove into the street in which Herman Mordaunt
lived, we heard a shout, and turning our heads, we saw
Guert Ten Eyck waving his cap to us, with joy delineated
in every feature of his handsome face. At the next moment
he was at our side.

“Mr. Herman Mordaunt,” he cried, shaking that gentleman
most cordially by the hand, “I look upon you as one
raised from the dead; you and my excellent neighbour,
Mrs. Bogart, and Mr. Follock, here! How you got off the
river is a mystery to me, for I well know that the water
commonly breaks through first under the west shore. Corny
and Miss Anneke—God bless you both! Mary Wallace is
in terror lest ill news come from some of you; but I will run
ahead and let her know the glad tidings. It is but five
minutes since I left her, starting at every sound, lest it prove
the foot of some ill-omened messenger.”

Guert stopped to say no more. In a minute he was inside
of Herman Mordaunt's house—in another Anneke and Mary
Wallace were locked in each other's arms. After exchanging
salutes, Mrs. Bogart was conveyed to her own residence,
and there was a termination to that memorable expedition.

Guert had less to communicate, in the way of dangers
and marvels, than I had anticipated. It seemed, that when
he and Miss Wallace reached the inner margin of the last
island, a large cake of ice had entered the strait, and got
jammed; or rather, that it went through, forced by the

[figure description] Page 027.[end figure description]

tremendous pressure above; though not without losing large
masses, as it came in contact with the shores, and grinding
much of its material into powder, by the attrition. Guert's
presence of mind and decision did him excellent service here.
Without delaying an instant, the moment it was in his power,
he led Mary on that cake, and crossed the narrow branch
of the river, which alone separated him from the main land,
on it, dry-shot. The water was beginning to find its way
over this cake, as it usually did on all those that lay low,
and which even stopped in their progress; but this did not
offer any serious obstacles to persons who were so prompt.
Safe themselves, our friends remained to see if we could not
be induced to join them; and the call we heard, was from
Guert, who had actually re-crossed to the island, in the hope
of meeting us, and directing us to a place of safety. Guert
never said anything to me on the subject, himself; but I
subsequently gathered from Mary Wallace's accounts, that
the young man did not rejoin her without a good deal of
hazard and difficulty, and after a long and fruitless search
for his companions. Finding it useless to remain any longer
on the river-side, Guert and his companion held their way
towards Albany. About midnight they reached the ferry,
opposite to the town; having walked quite six miles, filled
with uneasiness on account of those who had been left behind.
Guert was a man of decision, and he wisely determined
it would be better to proceed, than to attempt waking
up the inmates of any of the houses he passed. The river
was now substantially free from ice, though running with
great velocity. But, Guert was an expert oarsman; and,
finding a skiff, he persuaded Mary Wallace to enter it; actually
succeeding, by means of the eddies, in landing her
within ten feet of the very spot where the hand-sled had deposited
him and myself, only a few days before. From this
point, there was no difficulty in walking home; and Miss
Wallace actually slept in her own bed, that eventful night;
if, indeed, she could sleep.

Such was the termination of this adventure; one that I
have rightly termed memorable. In the end, Jack and
Moses came in safe and sound; having probably swum
ashore. They were found in the public road, only a short
distance from the town, and were brought in to their master

[figure description] Page 028.[end figure description]

the same day. Every one who took any interest in horses,—
and what Dutchman does not?—knew Jack and Moses;
and there was no difficulty in ascertaining to whom they
belonged. What is singular, however, both sleighs were
recovered; though at long intervals of time, and under
very different circumstances. That of Guert, wolves' skins
and all, actually went down the whole length of the river on
the ice; passing out to sea through the Narrows. It must
have gone by New York in the night, or doubtless it would
have been picked up; while the difficulty of reaching it, was
its protector on the descent, above the town. Once outside
of the Narrows, it was thrown by the tide and winds upon
the shore of Staten Island; where it was hauled to land,
housed, and, being properly advertised in our New York
paper, Guert actually got tidings of it in time to receive it,
skins and all, by one of the first sloops that ascended the
Hudson that year; which was within a fortnight after the
river had opened. The year 1758 was one of great activity,
on account of the movements of the army, and no time was
then unnecessarily lost.

The history of Herman Mordaunt's sleigh was very different.
The poor bays must have drowned soon after we
saw them floating past us in the torrent. Of course, life
had no sooner left them, than they sank to the bottom of the
river, carrying with them the sleigh to which they were
still attached. In a few days the animals rose to the surface—
as is usual with all swollen bodies—bringing up the
sleigh again. In this condition, the wreck was overtaken
by a downward bound sloop, the men of which saved the
sleigh, harness, skins, foot-stoves, and such other articles as
would not float away.

Our adventure made a good deal of noise in the circle of
Albany; and I have reason to think that my own conduct
was approved by those who heard of it. Bulstrode paid me
an especial visit of thanks, the very day of my return,
when the following conversation took place between us:—

“You seem fated, my dear Corny,” the Major observed,
after he had paid the usual compliments, “to be always
serving me in the most material way, and I scarcely know
how to express all I feel on the occasion. First, the lion,
and now this affair of the river—but, that Guert will drown,

[figure description] Page 029.[end figure description]

or make away with the whole family before the summer is
over, unless Mr. Mordaunt puts a stop to his interference.”

“This accident was one that might have overtaken the
oldest and most prudent man in Albany. The river seemed
as solid as the street when we went on it; and another hour,
even as it was, would have brought us all home, in entire
safety.”

“Ay, but that hour came near bringing death and desolation
into the most charming family in the colony; and you
have been the means of averting the heaviest part of the
blow. I wish to Heaven, Littlepage, that you would consent
to come into the army! Join us as a volunteer, the
moment we move, and I will write to Sir Harry to obtain a
pair of colours for you. As soon as he hears that we are
indebted to your coolness and courage for the life of Miss
Mordaunt, he will move heaven and earth, to manifest his
gratitude. The instant this good parent made up his mind
to accept Miss Mordaunt as a daughter, he began to consider
her as a child of his own.”

“And Anneke—Miss Mordaunt, herself, Mr. Bulstrode—
does she regard Sir Henry as a father?”

“Why, that must be coming by slow degrees, as a matter
of course, you know. Women are slower than us men to
admit such totally novel impressions; and I dare say Anneke
fancies one father enough for her, just at this moment:
though she sends very pleasant messages to Sir Harry, I
can assure you, when in the humour! But, what makes
you so grave, my good Corny?”

“Mr. Bulstrode, I conceive it no more than fair, to be as
honest as yourself in this matter. You have told me that
you are a suitor for Miss Mordaunt's hand; I will now own
to you that I am your rival.”

My companion heard this declaration with a quiet smile,
and the most perfect good-nature.

“So you actually wish to become the husband of Anneke
Mordaunt, yourself, my dear Corny, do you?” he said, so
coolly, that I was at a loss to know of what sort of materials
the man could be made.

“I do, Major Bulstrode—it is the first and last wish of
my heart.”

[figure description] Page 030.[end figure description]

“Since you seem disposed to reciprocate my confidence,
you will not take offence if I ask you a question or two!”

“Certainly not, sir; your own frankness shall be a rule
for my government.”

“Have you ever let Miss Mordaunt know that such are
your wishes?”

“I have, sir; and that in the plainest terms — such as
cannot well be misunderstood.”

“What! last night?—On that infernal ice!—While she
thought her life was in your hands!”

“Nothing was said on the subject, last night, for we had
other thoughts to occupy our minds.”

“It would have been a most ungenerous thing to take advantage
of a lady's fears—”

“Major Bulstrode!—I cannot submit—”

“Hush, my dear Corny,” interrupted the other, holding
out a hand in a most quiet and friendly manner; “there
must be no misunderstanding between you and me. Men
are never greater simpletons, than when they let the secret
consciousness of their love of life push them into swaggering
about their honour; when their honour has, in fact, nothing
to do with the matter in hand. I shall not quarrel with you;
and must beg you, in advance, to receive my apologies for
any little indecorum into which I may be betrayed by surprise;
as for great pieces of indecorum, I shall endeavour
to avoid them.”

“Enough has been said, Mr. Bulstrode; I am no wrangler,
to quarrel with a shadow; and, I trust, not in the least,
that most contemptible of all human beings, a social bully,
to be on all occasions menacing the sword or the pistol.
Such men usually do nothing, when matters come to a
crisis. Even when they fight, they fight bunglingly, and
innocently.”

“You are right, Littlepage, and I honour your sentiments.
I have remarked that the most expert swordsman with his
tongue, and the deadest shot at a shingle, are commonly as
innocent as lambs of the shedding of blood on the ground.
They can sometimes screw themselves up to meet an adversary,
but it exceeds their powers to use their weapons properly,
when it comes to serious work. The swaggerer is
ever a coward at heart, however well he may wear a mask

[figure description] Page 031.[end figure description]

for a time. But enough of this.—We understand each other,
and are to remain friends, under all circumstances. May I
question further?”

“Ask what you please, Bulstrode—I shall answer, or not,
at my own discretion.”

“Then, permit me to inquire, if Major Littlepage has
authorized you to offer proper settlements?”

“I am authorized to offer nothing.—Nor is it usual for
the husband to make settlements on his wife, in these colonies,
further than what the law does for her, in favour of
her own. The father, sometimes, has a care for the third
generation. I should expect Herman Mordaunt to settle his
estate on his daughter, and her rightful heirs, let her marry
whom she may.”

“Ay, that is a very American notion; and one on which
Herman Mordaunt, who remembers his extraction, will
be little likely to act. Well, Corny, we are rivals, as it
would seem; but that is no reason we should not remain
friends. We understand each other—though, perhaps, I
ought to tell you all.”

“I should be glad to know all, Mr. Bulstrode; and can
meet my fate, I hope, like a man. Whatever it may cost
me, if Anneke prefer another, her happiness will be dearer
to me than my own.”

“Yes, my dear fellow, we all say and think so at oneand-twenty;
which is about your age, I believe. At two
and-twenty, we begin to see that our own happiness has an
equal claim on us; and, at three-and-twenty, we even give
it the preference. However, I will be just, if I am selfish.
I have no reason to believe Anne Mordaunt does prefer me;
though my perhaps is not altogether without a meaning,
either.”

“In which case, I may possibly be permitted to know to
what it refers?”

“It refers to the father; and, I can tell you, my fine fellow,
that fathers are of some account, in the arrangement
of marriages between parties of any standing. Had not Sir
Harry authorized my own proposals, where should I have
been? Not a farthing of settlement could I have offered,
while he remained Sir Harry; notwithstanding I had the
prodigious advantage of the entail. I can tell you what it

[figure description] Page 032.[end figure description]

is, Corny; the existing power is always an important power;
since we all think more of the present time, than of the
future. That is the reason so few of us get to Heaven. As
for Herman Mordaunt, I deem it no more than fair to tell
you, he is on my side, heart and hand. He likes my offers
of settlement; he likes my family; he likes my rank, civil
and military; and I am not altogether without the hope, that
he likes me.”

I made no direct answer, and the conversation soon
changed. Bulstrode's declaration, however, caused me to
remember both the speech and manner of Herman Mordaunt,
when he thanked me for saving his daughter's life.
I now began to reflect on it; and reflected on it much during
the next few months. In the end, the reader will learn the
effect it had on my happiness.