It must be confessed, however, that bad as the master of
Greenwood deemed the political situation, he gave far more
thought to his private affairs. Every day conditions were becoming
more unsettled. His overseer had left his employ to
enlist, throwing all care of the farm on the squire's shoulders;
a second bondsman, emboldened by Charles' successful levanting,
had done the same, making labourers short-handed; while
those who remained were more eager to find excuses taking
them to Brunswick, that they might hear the latest news, and
talk it over, than they were to give their undivided attention to
reaping and hoeing. Finally, more and more tenants failed to
appear at Greenwood on rent day, and so the landlord was
called upon to ride the county over, dunning, none too successfully,
the delinquent.

Engrossing as all this might be, Mr. Meredith was still too
much concerned in public events not to occasionally find an
excuse for riding into Brunswick and learning of their progress;
and one evening as he approached the village, his eyes and
ears both informed him that something unusual was in hand,
for muskets were being discharged, great fires were blazing
on the green, and camped upon it was a regiment of troops.

Riding up to the tavern, where a rushing business was being
done, the squire halted the publican as he was hurrying
past with a handful of mugs, by asking, "What does all this
mean?"

"Living jingo, but things is on the bounce," cried the landlord,
excitedly. "Here 's news come that the British fleet of