Burr sat in silence for a time.
"You open up a singular train of thought for me, your excellency," said he at length. "He does belong with us, that young Virginian!"
"You know him, then?" inquired the British minister. "That is to say, you know him well?"
"Perfectly. Why should I not? He nearly was my son-in-law. Egad! Give him two weeks more, and he might have been--he got the news of my daughter's marriage just too late. It hit him hard. In truth, I doubt if he ever has recovered from it. They say he still takes it hard. Now, you ask me how to get that man, your excellency. There is perhaps one way in which it could be accomplished, and only one."
"How, then?" inquired Merry.
"The way of a woman with a man may always be the answer in matters of that sort!" said Aaron Burr.
The three sat and looked each at the other for some time without comment.
"I find Colonel Burr's brain active in all ways!" began Señor Yrujo dryly. "Now I confess that he goes somewhat in advance of mine."
"Listen," said Aaron Burr. "What Mr. Jefferson said of Captain Lewis is absolutely true--his will has never been known to relax or weaken. Once resolved, he cannot change--I will not say he does not, but that he cannot."
"Then even the unusual weapon you suggest might not avail!" Mr. Merry's smile was not altogether pleasant.
"Women would listen to him readily, I think," remarked Yrujo.
"Gallant in his way, yes," said Burr.
"Then what do you mean by saying something about the way of a woman with a man?"
"Only that it is the last remaining opportunity for us," rejoined Aaron Burr. "The appeal to his senses--of course, we will set that aside. The appeal to his chivalry--that is better! The appeal to his ambition--that is less, but might be used. The appeal to his sympathy--the wish to be generous with the woman who has not been generous with him, for the reason that she could not be--here again you have another argument which we may claim as possible."
"You reason well," said Merry. "But while men are mortal, yonder, if I mistake not, is a gentleman."
"Precisely," said Burr. "If we ask him to resign his expedition we are asking him to alter all his loyalty to his chief--and he will not do that. Any appeal made to him must be to his honor or to his chivalry; otherwise it were worse than hopeless. He would no more be disloyal to my son-in-law, the lady's husband--in case it came to that--than he would be disloyal to the orders of his chief."