The General pressed so hard that my mother and my uncle remained at his
place for a couple of days longer, driving over in the General's
carriage on the third day to say good-bye to me before returning home,
and, to Mercer's great delight, a packet was placed in his hand after he
had been fetched, with strict orders not to look at it till the carriage
had gone. I already had one in my pocket, and in addition a smaller one
that I was charged to deliver elsewhere.
Then the farewell was said, and, as soon as the carriage was out of
sight, I looked at Mercer, he at me, and with a unity of purpose that
was not surprising, we rushed off to the yard and up the rough steps to
the loft, where we laid our packets down, and hesitated to cut the
strings.