Page:The youth of Washington (1910).djvu/203

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  • ing forward to greet me, but no one else did

more than bow. The governor came toward me, and holding the capitulations in one hand, struck them with the other hand and cried out: "Explain, sir—explain how you, sir, an officer of the King, came to admit over your signature that you were an assassin, and twice, sir, twice. I consider you disgraced."

Lord Fairfax laid a hand on my arm to stay me and said:

"Your Excellency, it is not the manner among us to condemn a man unheard; nor, sir, to address a gentleman as you have permitted yourself to do."

Colonel Cary said: "That, sir, is also my own opinion." For this I was grateful, because on a former occasion he had himself been lacking in civility.

Then my cousin Willis came across the room and said very low: "Keep yourself quiet, George."

I bowed and asked to be shown the translation. I read it over with care, while no one spoke. What had been said was correct. For a moment I was too amazed to speak. As I looked up, utterly confounded, Lord Fairfax said: "Well, colonel?"