'I want nothing!' she cried. 'Nothing but your freedom.'

'I shall get my freedom,' he said, with confidence. 'And you shall yet have magnificent jewels, opals and pearls and diamonds that will make this necklace look like the tawdry bauble of a barmaid.'

She looked at him in quick surprise. 'You have not then abandoned all hope of'—she cast a quick glance around, and whispered—'of "X"?'

His eyebrows shot up. 'How can you ask me that? Do you think me a weakling? I am ashamed of you. Here, take your necklace and flaunt it proudly'. He gathered up the diamonds and poured them back into their leather pouch.

When she left him, Aaron knew that he had reinfected her with hope and confidence, a confidence that he quite sincerely felt himself. But there were undoubtedly difficulties. He foresaw a long legal battle, recriminations, accusations, the necessity for parrying the venomous many-headed serpent which Jefferson had let loose.

If only I had money, he thought, with a burst of anger. Money would have riveted Wilkinson's fickle loyalty, would even at this late stage shut the venal general's prating mouth. Aaron knew his man. The blustering turkey-cock could ever be swayed by self-interest. His newfound patriotism and horror of what he now called conspiracy had coincided with the disappearance of Aaron's funds—the monies subscribed to the cause by Joseph and Blennerhassett and others.

Aaron's thoughts turned again to Theo's necklace. Upon consideration he decided that its forced sale would not bring enough to compensate for the pain of depriving her of it Besides, it might be urgently needed later—when the trial was over.

He seated himself at his table, pulled a sheet of foolscap from a pile, headed it in cipher, 'A New Plan for Royalis; Government'. He had become so accustomed to using symbols and numbers in place of letters that he no longer needed to consult a key.

He wrote rapidly: 'The Mexican Empire under Aaron Burr will be a monarchy incorporated with the best features of democracy. Though unlimited power shall be firmly vested in the Emperor, the people will nevertheless have restricted representation in the government'. He filled page after page with detailed analysis. It was an occupation which never failed to give him keen enjoyment.

Outside, the long-threatened storm exploded into thunderclaps and a torrential downpour. Lightning blasted an oak in a near-by field. The deafening crash rocked the jail, brought screams from two tipsy strumpets who were confined on the floor below.

But Aaron never even looked up from his writing-table.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR