Part 50 (1/2)
The day drew to a close. The shadows came with coolness in the air. The endless embroidery went on, the knitting needles clicked, and a little later in the dusk, Margaret smiled as Rene went down the garden to the river, a towel on his arm.
”I did him good,” she murmured proudly.
Later in the evening they were of one mind that it was well to keep their engagement secret, above all, not to confide it to their relatives or to Miss Wynne until there was some satisfactory outcome of the serious charge which had caused Randolph to act as he had done.
XXVI
Mr. Hamilton's reply came in five days. He would come at once. De Courval's friends, Bingham and Wynne, had heard his story, and thought he did well to resign, while Wynne advised him to come to Merion for a week or two. His other adviser would not have even the appearance of flight.
”Above all,” said Margaret, ”go about as usual. Thou must not avoid people, and after Mr. Hamilton comes and is gone, think of Merion if it so please thee, or I can let thee go. Aunt Gainor was here in one of her fine tempers yesterday. I am jealous of her, Monsieur de Courval. And she has her suspicions.”
He took her advice, and saw too easily that he was the observed of many; for in the city he had long been a familiar personality, with his clean-shaven, handsome face and the erect figure, which showed the soldier's training. He was, moreover, a favorite, especially with the older men and women, so that not all the looks he met were either from hostile, c.o.c.kaded Jacobins or from the merely curious.
Mr. Thomas Cadwalader stopped him, and said that at need he was at his service, if he desired to call out the minister or the Secretary. Mrs.
Byrd, both curious and kind, would have him to come and tell her all about it, which he was little inclined to do.
He took Margaret's wholesome advice, and swam and rode, and was in a calmer state of mind, and even happy at the greetings of those in the fencing school, where were some whom, out of his slender means, he had helped. They told him gleefully how de Malerive had given up the ice-cream business for a morning to quiet for a few weeks an Irish Democrat who had said of the vicomte unpleasant things; and would he not fence! ”Yes, now,” he said smiling, and would use the pistol no more.
Mr. Hamilton came as he had promised. ”I must return to New York,” he said, ”to-morrow. I have heard from Schmidt. He may not come very soon; but I wrote him fully, on hearing from you. He will be sure to come soon or late, but meanwhile I have asked General Was.h.i.+ngton to see you with me. It may, indeed, be of small present use, but I want him to hear you--your own account of this affair. So far he has had only what Mr.
Randolph has been pleased to tell him. I made it a personal favor. Let us go. The cabinet meeting will be over.”
Rene thanked him and not altogether a.s.sured that any good would result from this visit, walked away with Hamilton, the two men attracting some attention. The President at this time lived on High Street, in the former house of Robert Morris, near to Sixth Street. They were shown into the office room on the right, which De Courval knew well, and where Genet, the Jacobin minister, had been insulted by the medallions of the hapless king and queen.
In a few minutes the President entered. He bowed formally, and said, ”Pray be seated, Vicomte. I have been asked, sir, by Mr. Hamilton to hear you. As you are not now in the service, I am pleased to allow myself the pleasure to do so, although I have thought it well to advise Mr. Randolph of my intention. Your case has been before the cabinet, but as yours was a position solely in the gift of the Secretary of State, I--or we, have felt that his appointments should lie wholly within his control.”
”And of disappointments, also, I suppose,” said Hamilton, smiling, a privileged person.
Little open to appreciation of humor, no smile came upon the worn face of the President. He turned to Hamilton as he spoke, and then went on addressing De Courval, and speaking, as was his way, with deliberate slowness. ”I have given this matter some personal consideration because, although Mr. Secretary Randolph has acted as to him seemed best, you have friends who, to be frank with you, feel desirous that I should be informed by you in person of what took place. I am willing to oblige them. You are, it seems, unfortunate. There are two serious charges, an a.s.sault and--pardon me--the seizure of a despatch. May I be allowed to ask you certain questions?”
”I shall be highly honored, sir.”
”This, I am given to understand, was a personal quarrel.”
”Yes, your Excellency.”
”What the law may say of the matter, I do not know. What concerns us most is the despatch. In what I say I desire, sir, to be considered open to correction. When, as I am told, you followed Mr. Carteaux, intending a very irregular duel, did you know that he carried a despatch?”
”I did not until Mr. Schmidt found it. Then the man was cared for, and I delivered his papers to their destination.”
”I regret, sir, to hear that of this you have no proof. Here your word suffices. Outside of these walls it has been questioned.”
”I have no proof,--none of any value,--nor can I ever hope to prove that I did what my own honor and my duty to the administration required.”
Hamilton listened intently while the aging, tired face of the President for a moment seemed lost in reflection. Then the large, blue eyes were lifted as he said, ”At present this matter seems hopeless, sir, but time answers many questions.” Upon this he turned to Hamilton. ”There are two persons involved. Who, sir, is this Mr. Schmidt? I am told that he has left the country; in fact, has fled.”
For a moment Hamilton was embarra.s.sed. ”I can vouch for him as my friend. He was called to Germany on a matter of moment. At present I am not at liberty to reply to you more fully. He is sure to return, and then I may,--indeed, I am sure, will be more free to answer you frankly.