Part 29 (1/2)

”Farewell!” said Robert, with a real wrench at the heart. St. Luc left him and walked swiftly in the direction of St. George's Chapel. The snow increased so much and was driving so hard that in forty or fifty paces he disappeared entirely and Robert, wis.h.i.+ng shelter, went back to the house of Benjamin Hardy, moved by many and varied emotions.

He could not doubt that St. Luc's warning was earnest and important, but why should he have incurred such great risks to give it? What was he to Adrian Van Zoon? and what was Adrian Van Zoon to him? And what did the talk at night between Willet and Hardy mean? He, seemed to be the center of a singular circle of complications, of which other people might know much, but of which he knew nothing.

Mr. Hardy's house was very solid, very warm and very comfortable. He was still at the Royal Exchange, but Mr. Pillsbury had come home, and was standing with his back to a great fire, his coattails drawn under either arm in front of him. A gleam of warmth appeared in his solemn eyes at the sight of Robert.

”A fierce day, Master Robert,” he said. ”'Tis good at such a time to stand before a red fire like this, and have stout walls between one and the storm.”

”Spoken truly, Master Jonathan,” said Robert, as he joined him before the fire, and imitated his position.

”You have been to our new city library? We are quite proud of it.”

”Yes, I was there, but I have also been thinking a little.”

”Thought never hurts one. We should all be better if we took more thought upon ourselves.”

”I was thinking of a man whom we saw at the play last night, the merchant, Adrian Van Zoon.”

Master Jonathan let his coattails fall from under his arms, and then he deliberately gathered them up again.

”A wealthy and powerful merchant. He has s.h.i.+ps on many seas.”

”I have inferred that Mr. Hardy does not like him.”

”Considering my words carefully, I should say that Mr. Hardy does not like Mr. Van Zoon and that Mr. Van Zoon does not like Mr. Hardy.”

”I'm not seeking to be intrusive, but is it just business rivalry?”

”You are not intrusive, Master Robert. But my knowledge seldom extends beyond matters of business.”

”Which means that you might be able to tell me, but you deem it wiser not to do so.”

”The storm increases, Master Robert. The snow is almost blinding. I repeat that it is a most excellent fire before which we are standing. Mr. Hardy and your friends will be here presently and we shall have food.”

”It seems to me, Master Jonathan, that the people of New York eat much and often.”

”It sustains life and confers a harmless pleasure.”

”To return a moment to Adrian Van Zoon. You say that his s.h.i.+ps are upon every sea. In what trade are they engaged, mostly?”

”In almost everything, Master Robert. They say he does much smuggling--but I don't object to a decent bit of smuggling--and I fear that certain very fast vessels of his know more than a little about the slave trade.”

”I trust that Mr. Hardy has never engaged in such a traffic.”

”You may put your mind at rest upon that point, Master Robert. No amount of profit could induce Mr. Hardy to engage in such commerce.”

Mr. Hardy, Tayoga and Willet came in presently, and the merchant remained a while after his dinner. The older men smoked pipes and talked together and Robert and Tayoga looked out at the driving snow.

Tayoga had received a letter from Colonel William Johnson that morning, informing him that all was well at the vale of Onondaga, and the young Onondaga was pleased. They were speaking of their expected departure to join Braddock's army, but they had heard from Willet that they were to remain longer than they had intended in New York, as the call to march demanded no hurry.