An Experiment in Treason Read Free Page A

sure, was said for the benefit of the crowd that had gathered round them in the lobby.)
    It came as a surprise, at least to me, that they did at last settle upon a price. Could it be said that the agreed-upon amount was thought by both to be fair? No, say rather that each for his own reasons seemed to think it unfair. Nevertheless, their onlookers were so relieved that the matter had been settled without resort to violence, that quite spontaneously they burst into applause. Caught by surprise, the two negotiators turned to the crowed and acknowledged the response with waves of the hand and nods of the head. Then, obeying the custom, they did solemnly clasp hands on the matter, thus sealing their hard-won agreement before witnesses.
    In no time at all we were in the coach and well-begun upon our journey. I know not the cause — perhaps that the load was lightened so by the absence of Dr. Lee (though he was in no wise an extraordinarily large man) — but the journey seemed to go much faster on the return trip to London.
    At first, Mr. Donnelly would do not more than grumble that he had been bested in the haggle with the driver, yet it was not long until he put blame where it belonged and began to assess the extent of Dr. Lee’s guilt in the matter.
    “Why would he do such a thing?” said he to me, honestly seeking some explanation for the fellow’s behavior.
    “Well,” said I, “perhaps he was financially embarrassed and wished to keep it a secret.”
    “Yes, but to tell the coachman that he would have to seek payment for the return trip from me without ever broaching the matter to me — that does exceed the limit, don’t you think? And as for the possibility that he might be, as you suggest, financially embarrassed — well, all of us are from time to time, but, damn his eyes, he should have told me. He should have asked. It would have been the gentlemanly thing to do. But then again, I do not think these colonial fellows are much concerned with proper behavior — no, not even their champion, Dr. Franklin. He, so they say, is no more a gentleman than this man Lee.”
    That interested me. I wished to hear more. Nevertheless, it was evident that he intended to add nothing. Something in his eyes, as he glanced in my direction, seemed to say that he regretted saying all that he had, and that he would tell no more. Under the circumstances, it would have been rude to pursue the matter. And so, did we lapse into silence. He, for his part, sat staring out the window. I, for mine, looked at the colors of autumn reel by and wondered, as I did so, in what way Benjamin Franklin failed to meet a gentleman’s high standard. Could it have something to do with his attractiveness to women? I pondered that for a while, yet could do little with it, for, in all truth, I could not suppose for a moment that a man of such an appearance could be attractive to women. But then, having thought long enough upon it, I put it out of my mind and succumbed to sleep.
    When I woke, it was dark enough so that I had a bit of difficulty in discovering just where we were. Staring out the window, I saw lights aplenty in the near-distance and realized, after a bit of staring, that the surrounding darkness was naught but that which encircles on all sides as one crosses the Thames by way of London Bridge. We were, to my astonishment, quite near home. Depending upon the number of coaches and hackneys on the streets at whatever hour this might happen to be, we were no more than minutes away from Number 4 Bow Street.
    “Ah, awake, are you?” It was Gabriel Donnelly, leaning for-ward to catch the light in my eye.
    I sat up straight, blinking, and then nodded my reply.
    “I’ve no idea how you managed to sleep, the way we were bouncing along on those country roads, ” said Mr. Donnelly. “You’ve a talent for it, I do swear.”
    “A talent for what?” My voice cracked as I tried it for the first time in hours.
    “For sleeping,” said he.
    “Perhaps