the young virginian had well-nigh made his way out over the two miles or so of sheltered roadway, when he heard hoof beats on ahead, and slackened his own speed. he saw two horsemen approaching, both well mounted, coming on at a handsome gait.
of these, one was a stout and elderly man of no special shape at all, who sat his horse with small grace, his florid face redder for his exercise, his cheeks mottled with good living and hard riding. he was clad in scrupulous riding costume, and seemed, indeed, a person of some importance. the badge of some order or society showed on his breast, and his entire air—intent as he was upon his present business of keeping company with a skilled horseman—marked him as one accustomed to attention from others. a servant in the costume of an english groom rode at a short distance behind him.
the second man was lighter, straight and trim of figure, with an erectness and exactness of carriage which marked him as a soldier at some part of his life. he was clad with extreme neatness, well booted also, and sat his mount with the nonchalance of the trained [pg 31]horseman. his own garb and face showed not the slightest proof that he had been riding hard.
indeed, he seemed one whom no condition or circumstance could deprive of a cool immaculateness. he was a man to be marked in any company—especially so by the peculiar brilliance of his full, dark eye, which had a piercing, searching glint of its own; an eye such as few men have owned, and under whose spell man or woman might easily melt to acquiescence with the owner’s mind.
he sat his horse with a certain haughtiness as well as carelessness. his chin seemed long and firm, and his lofty forehead—indeed, his whole air and carriage—discovered him the man of ambition that he really was. for this was no other than aaron burr, vice-president of the united states, whose name was soon to be on the lips of all. he had lately come to washington with the jefferson administration.
this gentleman now reined up his horse as he caught sight of the young man approaching. his older companion also halted. burr raised his hat.
“ah, captain lewis!” he said in a voice of extraordinary sweetness, yet of power. “you also have caught the secret of this climate, eh? you ride in the early morning—i do not wonder. you are virginian, and so know the heats of washington. i fancy you recognize mr. merry,” he added, his glance turning from one to the other.
the young virginian bowed to both gentlemen.
“i have persuaded his excellency the minister from great britain to ride with us on one of our washington [pg 32]mornings. he has been good enough to say—to say—that he enjoys it!”
burr turned a quick glance upon the heavier figure at his side, with a half smile of badinage on his own face. lewis bowed again, formally, and anthony merry answered with equal politeness and ceremony.
“yes,” said the envoy, “to be sure i recall the young man. i met him in the anteroom at the president’s house.”
meriwether lewis cast him a quick glance, but made no answer. he knew well enough the slighting estimate in which everything at washington was held by this minister accredited to our government. also he knew, as he might have said, something about the diplomat’s visit at the executive mansion. for thus far the minister from great britain to washington had not been able to see the president of the united states.
“and you are done your ride?” said burr quickly, for his was a keen nose to scent any complication. “tell me”—he lifted his own reins now to proceed—“you saw nothing of my daughter, mrs. alston? we missed her at the house, and have feared her abduction by some bold young virginian, eh?”
his keen eye rested fairly on the face of the younger man as he spoke. the latter felt the challenge under the half mocking words.
“yes,” he replied calmly, “i have seen mrs. alston. i left her but now at the old mill, having a cup of coffee with the miller’s wife. i had not time myself for a second, although mrs. alston honored me by allowing [pg 33]me to sit at her table for a moment. we met by accident, you see, as we both rode, a short time ago. i overtook her when it was not yet sunrise, or scarcely more.”
“you see!” laughed burr, as he turned to merry. “our young men are early risers when it comes to pursuit of the fair. i must ride at once and see to the welfare of my daughter. she may be weeping at losing her escort so soon!”
they all smiled in proper fashion. lewis bowed, and, lifting his hat, passed on. burr, as they parted, fell for just a half-moment into thought, his face suddenly inscrutable, as if he pondered something.
“there is the ablest man i have seen in washington,” blurted out merry suddenly, apropos of nothing that had been said. “he has manners, and he rides like an englishman.”
“say not so!” said burr, laughing. “better—he rides like a virginian!”
“very well; it is the same thing. the virginians are but ourselves—this country is all english yet. and i swear—mr. burr, may we speak freely?—i cannot see, and i never shall see, what is the sense in all this talk of a new democracy of the people. now, what men like these—like you——”
“you know well enough how far i agree with you,” said burr somberly.
“’tis an experiment, our republic, i am willing to say that boldly to you, at least. how long it may last——”
“depends on men like you,” said merry, suddenly [pg 34]turning upon him as they rode. “how long do you suppose his majesty will endure such slights as they put on us here day by day? my blood boils at the indignities we have had to suffer here—cooling our heels in your president’s halls. i call it mere presumptuousness. i cannot look upon this country as anything but a province to be taken back again when england is ready. and it may be, since so much turbulence and discourtesy seem growing here, that chance will not wait long in the coming!”
“it may be, mr. merry,” said aaron burr. “my own thoughts you know too well for need of repetition. let us only go softly. my plans advance as well as i could ask. i was just wondering,” he added, “whether those two young people really were together there at the old mill—and whether they were there for the first time.”
“if not, ’twas not for the last time!” rejoined the older man. “yonder young man was made to fill a woman’s eye. your daughter, mr. burr, while the soul of married discreetness, and charming as any of her sex i have ever seen, must look out for her heart. she might find it divided into three equal parts.”
“how then, mr. minister?”
“one for her father——”
aaron burr bowed.
“yes, her father first, as i verily believe. what then?”
“the second for her husband——”
“certainly. mr. alston is a rising man. he has a thousand slaves on his plantations—he is one of the [pg 35]richest of the rich south carolinian planters. and in politics he has a chance—more than a chance. but after that?”
“the third portion of so charming a woman’s heart might perhaps be assigned to captain meriwether lewis!”
“say you so?” laughed burr carelessly. “well, well this must be looked into. come, i must tell my son-in-law that his home is in danger of being invaded! far off in his southern rice-lands, i fear he misses his young wife sometimes. i brought her here for the sake of her own health—she cannot thrive in such swamps. besides, i cannot bear to have her live away from me. she is happier with me than anywhere else. yes, you are right, my daughter worships me.”
“why should she not? and why should she not ride with a gallant at sunrise for an early cup of coffee, egad?” said the older man.
burr did not answer, and they rode on.
in the opposite direction there rode also the young man of whom they spoke. and at about the time that the two came to the old mill and saw theodosia alston sitting there—her face still cast down, her eyes gazing abstractedly into her untasted cup on the little table—meriwether lewis was pulling up at the iron gate which then closed the opening in the stone wall encircling the modest official residence of his chief and patron, president jefferson.
