, a page not smirched with the ink of knowledge.’
‘Nor’s that the worst that may be, when a man creeps into a city in time of danger with a bag of gold. Since King George’s War began—’
‘Sorry; what?’
‘The present war with the French, sir,’ said Lovell, irritably. ‘That, you have heard of, I think?’
‘Perhaps it goes by another name in England, Papa,’ said Tabitha. ‘We call all our wars, here, by the names of monarchs; as, King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, King George’s.’
‘What royalists you are!’ said Smith, lightly.
‘Is that intended as a fling at our patriotism?’ said Lovell. ‘I may tell you,’ he went on, knocking on the table for emphasis with a forefinger, ‘that His Majesty has no more loyal subjects than us, and that if we object to the dangerous conduct of our idiot Governor, it is not for want of any zeal against the Frenchies, nor against their Papist savages, neither. We hate the Pretender, sir, and we hate the garlic-eaters, and we don’t abide their intrigues, not for one minute. No; we only stand by our rights as Englishmen,and ask why the upper Valley must be stirred up to no purpose, and troops garrisoned upon honest men who never consented to them, and never voted funds for their supply. When all know that a standing army is a maggot in the state, a caterpillar feeding on liberties. Sir.’
Smith turned to Tabitha, his face a mask of polite puzzlement.
‘Governor Clinton has encamped two regiments of regulars at Albany, meaning to march them north on campaign, but the Assembly of New-York will not pass the bill to feed them,’ she said, concisely. ‘As we speak, chickens are going missing all over Albany County.’
Smith smiled reflexively.
‘That is not really a joking matter, sister, is it?’ said Hendrick to Tabitha.
‘And I am not really your sister, am I?’ said Tabitha. ‘Not yet .’
‘Let us say all this is truly nothing to you,’ said Van Loon to Smith, talking across their exchange as if it were not happening. ‘You have not heard our gossip, you are not mixed up in it.’ Mikscht opp . ‘Everything you know about is far away, back in London.’
‘Alas, alas, Babylon, that great city!’ squeaked the Captain.
‘So, why so cautious? Why do you object so much that we should know what you plan to do with the money of friend Gregory, here?’
‘Mine, sir, surely; my money, when the bill is honoured.’
‘True, true: you may say so at quarter-day. But that leaves you still sixty days—’
‘Fifty-nine now, sir—’
‘—to set our minds at peace. And perhaps to make friends of us, hey? You should consider how much we may be able to help you, with any righteous purchase in your mind.’
‘Is it the law here, sir, that money must explain itself?’
‘Not the law, Mr Smith, nor even the custom.’ Tabitha leaned forward into the candle-light, the dark silk of her dress gleaming. ‘Our grandees go unmolested, I assure you. Mijnheer Philipse can walk up Broad Street without a soul tugging his sleeve and asking what’s in his pockets; Mr De Lancey can rule in the court without the plaintiff saying, “Now, sir, what’s this about the block for lease by Rutgers’ Farm I hear you’re buying?” Mr Livingston can take his pinch of snuff in the Black Horse without the waiter asking, “Wheat or oats for you, sir, this sowing season?”’
‘I am not the damned waiter at the Black Horse, my dear,’ said Lovell wearily. ‘I am this gentleman’s creditor, seemingly. We all are, you included – and are due, if all’s square, to hand him a budget for who-knows-what. Which gives us a very natural interest, as I say, in learning what mischief he purposes.’
‘Yes, Papa. I know. You only look like a waiter,’ said Tabitha, wriggling her shoulders. ‘But what’s Mr Smith’s interest in telling? You must set subtler bait.’
‘My interest,’ said Mr Smith. ‘ My interest?’ He shot his cuffs and stretched
‘Nor’s that the worst that may be, when a man creeps into a city in time of danger with a bag of gold. Since King George’s War began—’
‘Sorry; what?’
‘The present war with the French, sir,’ said Lovell, irritably. ‘That, you have heard of, I think?’
‘Perhaps it goes by another name in England, Papa,’ said Tabitha. ‘We call all our wars, here, by the names of monarchs; as, King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, King George’s.’
‘What royalists you are!’ said Smith, lightly.
‘Is that intended as a fling at our patriotism?’ said Lovell. ‘I may tell you,’ he went on, knocking on the table for emphasis with a forefinger, ‘that His Majesty has no more loyal subjects than us, and that if we object to the dangerous conduct of our idiot Governor, it is not for want of any zeal against the Frenchies, nor against their Papist savages, neither. We hate the Pretender, sir, and we hate the garlic-eaters, and we don’t abide their intrigues, not for one minute. No; we only stand by our rights as Englishmen,and ask why the upper Valley must be stirred up to no purpose, and troops garrisoned upon honest men who never consented to them, and never voted funds for their supply. When all know that a standing army is a maggot in the state, a caterpillar feeding on liberties. Sir.’
Smith turned to Tabitha, his face a mask of polite puzzlement.
‘Governor Clinton has encamped two regiments of regulars at Albany, meaning to march them north on campaign, but the Assembly of New-York will not pass the bill to feed them,’ she said, concisely. ‘As we speak, chickens are going missing all over Albany County.’
Smith smiled reflexively.
‘That is not really a joking matter, sister, is it?’ said Hendrick to Tabitha.
‘And I am not really your sister, am I?’ said Tabitha. ‘Not yet .’
‘Let us say all this is truly nothing to you,’ said Van Loon to Smith, talking across their exchange as if it were not happening. ‘You have not heard our gossip, you are not mixed up in it.’ Mikscht opp . ‘Everything you know about is far away, back in London.’
‘Alas, alas, Babylon, that great city!’ squeaked the Captain.
‘So, why so cautious? Why do you object so much that we should know what you plan to do with the money of friend Gregory, here?’
‘Mine, sir, surely; my money, when the bill is honoured.’
‘True, true: you may say so at quarter-day. But that leaves you still sixty days—’
‘Fifty-nine now, sir—’
‘—to set our minds at peace. And perhaps to make friends of us, hey? You should consider how much we may be able to help you, with any righteous purchase in your mind.’
‘Is it the law here, sir, that money must explain itself?’
‘Not the law, Mr Smith, nor even the custom.’ Tabitha leaned forward into the candle-light, the dark silk of her dress gleaming. ‘Our grandees go unmolested, I assure you. Mijnheer Philipse can walk up Broad Street without a soul tugging his sleeve and asking what’s in his pockets; Mr De Lancey can rule in the court without the plaintiff saying, “Now, sir, what’s this about the block for lease by Rutgers’ Farm I hear you’re buying?” Mr Livingston can take his pinch of snuff in the Black Horse without the waiter asking, “Wheat or oats for you, sir, this sowing season?”’
‘I am not the damned waiter at the Black Horse, my dear,’ said Lovell wearily. ‘I am this gentleman’s creditor, seemingly. We all are, you included – and are due, if all’s square, to hand him a budget for who-knows-what. Which gives us a very natural interest, as I say, in learning what mischief he purposes.’
‘Yes, Papa. I know. You only look like a waiter,’ said Tabitha, wriggling her shoulders. ‘But what’s Mr Smith’s interest in telling? You must set subtler bait.’
‘My interest,’ said Mr Smith. ‘ My interest?’ He shot his cuffs and stretched
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