WithacertainhalfironyofrecollectionhehadselectedJimHookertoaccompanythepartyasavolunteer。Thisdone,hereturnedtothegallery。Thesurgeonmethimatthedoor。
\"Theindicationsofconcussionarepassingaway,\"hesaid,\"butsheseemstobesufferingfromtheexhaustionfollowingsomegreatnervousexcitement。Youmaygoin——shemayrallyfromitatanymoment。\"
Withtheartificialstepandmysterioushushoftheordinaryvisitortoasickbed,Brantenteredtheroom。Butsomeinstinctgreaterthanthiscommonexpressionofhumanityheldhimsuddenlyinawe。Theroomseemednolongerhis——ithadslippedbackintothataustereconventualprivacywhichhadfirstimpressedhim。Yethehesitated;anotherstrangesuggestion——itseemedalmostavaguerecollection——overcamehimlikesomelingeringperfume,faroffandpathetic,initsdyingfamiliarity。Heturnedhiseyesalmosttimidlytowardsthebed。Thecoverletwasdrawnupnearthethroatofthefiguretoreplacethestripedcottongownstainedwithbloodanddust,whichhadbeenhurriedlytornoffandthrownonachair。
Thepaleface,cleansedofbloodanddisguisingcolor,thelonghair,stilldampfromthesurgeon’ssponge,layrigidlybackonthepillow。Suddenlythismanofsteadynerveutteredafaintcry,and,withafaceaswhiteastheupturnedonebeforehim,fellonhiskneesbesidethebed。Forthefacethatlaytherewashiswife’s!
Yes,hers!Butthebeautifulhairthatshehadgloriedin——thehairthatinhisyouthhehadthoughthadoncefallenlikeabenedictiononhisshoulder——wasstreakedwithgrayalongtheblue-
veinedhollowsofthetemples;theorbitsofthosecleareyes,beneaththeirdelicatelyarchedbrows,wereringedwithdaysofsuffering;onlytheclear-cutprofile,eventothedelicateimperiousnessoflipsandnostril,wasstillthereinallitsbeauty。Thecoverlethadslippedfromhershoulder;itsfamiliarcoldcontourstartledhim。Herememberedhow,intheirearlymarrieddays,hehadfeltthesanctityofthatDiana-likerevelation,andthestillnymph-likeausteritywhichclungtothisstrange,childlesswoman。Heevenfanciedthathebreathedagainthesubtlecharacteristicperfumeofthelaces,embroideries,anddelicateenwrappingsinherchamberatRobles。Perhapsitwastheintensityofhisgaze——perhapsitwasthemagnetismofhispresence——butherlipspartedwithahalfsigh,halfmoan。Herhead,althoughhereyeswerestillclosed,turnedonthepillowinstinctivelytowardshim。Herosefromhisknees。Hereyesopenedslowly。Asthefirstglareofwondermentclearedfromthem,theymethim——intheoldantagonismofspirit。Yetherfirstgesturewasapatheticfemininemovementwithbothhandstoarrangeherstragglinghair。Itbroughtherwhitefingers,cleanedoftheirdisguisingstains,asasuddenrevelationtoherofwhathadhappened;sheinstantlyslippedthembackunderthecoverletagain。
Brantdidnotspeak,butwithfoldedarmsstoodgazinguponher。
Anditwashervoicethatfirstbrokethesilence。
\"Youhaverecognizedme?Well,Isupposeyouknowall,\"shesaid,withaweakhalf-defiance。
Hebowedhishead。Hefeltasyethecouldnottrusthisvoice,andenviedherherown。
\"Imaysitup,mayn’tI?\"Shemanaged,bysheerforceofwill,tostruggletoasittingposture。Then,asthecoverletslippedfromthebareshoulder,shesaid,asshedrewit,withashiverofdisgust,aroundheragain,——
\"Iforgotthatyoustripwomen,youNorthernsoldiers!ButI
forgot,too,\"sheadded,withasarcasticsmile,\"thatyouarealsomyhusband,andIaminyourroom。\"
ThecontemptuoussignificanceofherspeechdispelledthelastlingeringremnantofBrant’sdream。Inavoiceasdryasherown,hesaid,——
\"IamafraidyouwillnowhavetorememberonlythatIamaNortherngeneral,andyouaSouthernspy。\"
\"Sobeit,\"shesaidgravely。Thenimpulsively,\"ButIhavenotspiedonYOU。\"
Yet,thenextmoment,shebitherlipsasiftheexpressionhadunwittinglyescapedher;andwitharecklessshrugofhershouldersshelaybackonherpillow。
\"Itmattersnot,\"saidBrantcoldly。\"Youhaveusedthishouseandthosewithinittoforwardyourdesigns。Itisnotyourfaultthatyoufoundnothinginthedispatch-boxyouopened。\"
Shestaredathimquickly;thenshruggedhershouldersagain。
\"Imighthaveknownshewasfalsetome,\"shesaidbitterly,\"andthatyouwouldwheedlehersoulawayasyouhaveothers。Well,shebetrayedme!Forwhat?\"
AflushpassedoverBrant’sface。Butwithanefforthecontainedhimself。
\"Itwastheflowerthatbetrayedyou!Theflowerwhosereddustfellintheboxwhenyouopeneditonthedeskbythewindowinyonderroom——theflowerthatstoodinthewindowasasignal——theflowerImyselfremoved,andsospoiledthemiserableplotthatyourfriendsconcocted。\"
Alookofmingledterrorandawecameintoherface。
\"YOUchangedthesignal!\"sherepeateddazedly;then,inalowervoice,\"thataccountsforitall!\"Butthenextmomentsheturnedagainfiercelyuponhim。\"Andyoumeantotellmethatshedidn’thelpyou——thatshedidn’tsellme——yourwife——toyoufor——forwhatwasit?Alook——akiss!\"
\"Imeantosaythatshedidnotknowthesignalwaschanged,andthatsheherselfrestoredittoitsplace。ItisnofaultofhersnoryoursthatIamnothereaprisoner。\"
Shepassedherthinhanddazedlyacrossherforehead。
\"Isee,\"shemuttered。Thenagainburstingoutpassionately,shesaid——\"Fool!youneverwouldhavebeentouched!DoyouthinkthatLeewouldhavegoneforyou,withhighergameinyourdivisioncommander?No!Thosesupportswereafeinttodrawhimtoyourassistancewhileourmaincolumnbrokehiscentre。Yes,youmaystareatme,ClarenceBrant。Youareagoodlawyer——theysayadashingfighter,too。Ineverthoughtyouacoward,eveninyourirresolution;butyouarefightingwithmendrilledintheartofwarandstrategywhenyouwereaboyoutcastontheplains。\"Shestopped,closedhereyes,andthenadded,wearily——\"Butthatwasyesterday——to-day,whoknows?Allmaybechanged。Thesupportsmaystillattackyou。ThatwaswhyIstoppedtowriteyouthatnoteanhourago,whenIbelievedIshouldbeleavinghereforever。Yes,Ididit!\"shewenton,withhalf-wearied,half-doggeddetermination。\"Youmayaswellknowall。Ihadarrangedtofly。
Yourpicketsweretobedrawnbyfriendsofmine,whowerewaitingformebeyondyourlines。Well,IlingeredherewhenIsawyouarrive——lingeredtowriteyouthatnote。And——Iwastoolate!\"
ButBranthadbeenwatchinghervaryingexpression,herkindlingeye,herstrangemasculinegraspofmilitaryknowledge,hersoldierlyphraseology,allsonewtoher,thathescarcelyheededthefeminineendingofherspeech。ItseemedtohimnolongertheDianaofhisyouthfulfancy,butsomePallasAthene,whonowlookedupathimfromthepillow。Hehadneverbeforefullybelievedinherunselfishdevotiontothecauseuntilnow,whenitseemedtohavealmostunsexedher。InhiswildestcomprehensionofherhehadneverdreamedheraJoanofArc,andyetherswasthefacewhichmighthaveconfrontedhim,exaltedandinspired,onthebattlefielditself。Herecalledhimselfwithaneffort。
\"Ithankyouforyourwould-bewarning,\"hesaidmoregently,ifnotsotenderly,\"andGodknowsIwishyourflighthadbeensuccessful。Butevenyourwarningisunnecessary,forthesupportshadalreadycomeup;theyhadfollowedthesecondsignal,anddivergedtoengageourdivisionontheleft,leavingmealone。Andtheirruseofdrawingourcommandertoassistmewouldnothavebeensuccessful,asIhadsuspectedit,andsentamessagetohimthatIwantednohelp。\"
Itwasthetruth;itwasthesolepurportofthenotehehadsentthroughMissFaulkner。Hewouldnothavedisclosedhissacrifice;
butsogreatwasthestrangedominationofthiswomanstilloverhim,thathefeltcompelledtoasserthissuperiority。Shefixedhereyesuponhim。
\"AndMissFaulknertookyourmessage?\"shesaidslowly。\"Don’tdenyit!Nooneelsecouldhavepassedthroughourlines;andyougaveherasafeconductthroughyours。Yes,Imighthaveknownit。
Andthiswasthecreaturetheysentmeforanallyandconfidant!\"
ForaninstantBrantfeltthestingofthisenforcedcontrastbetweenthetwowomen。Butheonlysaid,——
\"YouforgetthatIdidnotknowyouwerethespy,nordoIbelievethatshesuspectedyouweremywife。\"
\"Whyshouldshe?\"shesaidalmostfiercely。\"IamknownamongthesepeopleonlybythenameofBenham——-mymaidenname。Yes!——
youcantakemeout,andshootmeunderthatname,withoutdisgracingyours。NobodywillknowthattheSouthernspywasthewifeoftheNortherngeneral!Yousee,Ihavethoughtevenofthat!\"
\"Andthinkingofthat,\"saidBrantslowly,\"youhaveputyourself——
Iwillnotsayinmypower,foryouareinthepowerofanymaninthiscampwhomayknowyou,orevenhearyouspeak。Well,letusunderstandeachotherplainly。Idonotknowhowgreatasacrificeyourdevotiontoyourcausedemandsofyou;Idoknowwhatitseemstodemandofme。Hearme,then!Iwilldomybesttoprotectyou,andgetyousafelyawayfromhere;but,failingthat,ItellyouplainlythatIshallblowoutyourbrainsandmyowntogether。\"
Sheknewthathewoulddoit。Yethereyessuddenlybeamedwithanewandawakeninglight;sheputbackherhairagain,andhalfraisedherselfuponthepillow,togazeathisdark,setface。
\"AndasIshallletnootherlifebutoursbeperiledinthisaffair,\"hewentonquietly,\"andwillaccompanyyoumyselfinsomedisguisebeyondthelines,wewilltogethertaketherisks——orthebulletsofthesentriesthatmaysaveusbothallfurthertrouble。
Anhourortwomorewillsettlethat。Untilthenyourweakconditionwillexcuseyoufromanydisturbanceorintrusionhere。
Themulattowomanyouhavesometimespersonatedmaybestillinthishouse;Iwillappointhertoattendyou。Isupposeyoucantrusther,foryoumustpersonateheragain,andescapeinherclothes,whileshetakesyourplaceinthisroomasmyprisoner。\"
\"Clarence!\"
Hervoicehadchangedsuddenly;itwasnolongerbitterandstridulous,butlowandthrillingashehadheardhercalltohimthatnightinthepatioofRobles。Heturnedquickly。Shewasleaningfromthebed——herthin,whitehandsstretchedappealinglytowardshim。
\"Letusgotogether,Clarence,\"shesaideagerly。\"Letusleavethishorribleplace——thesewicked,cruelpeople——forever。Comewithme!Comewithmetomypeople——tomyownfaith——tomyownhouse——whichshallbeyours!Comewithmetodefenditwithyourgoodsword,Clarence,againstthosevileinvaderswithwhomyouhavenothingincommon,andwhoarethedirtunderyourfeet。Yes,yes!Iknowit!——Ihavedoneyouwrong——IhaveliedtoyouwhenI
spokeagainstyourskillandpower。Youareahero——abornleaderofmen!Iknowit!HaveInothearditfromthemenwhohavefoughtagainstyou,andyetadmiredandunderstoodyou,ay,betterthanyourown?——gallantmen,Clarence,soldiersbredwhodidnotknowwhatyouweretomenorhowproudIwasofyouevenwhileI
hatedyou?Comewithme!Thinkwhatwewoulddotogether——withonefaith——onecause——oneambition!Think,Clarence,thereisnolimityoumightnotattain!Wearenoniggardsofourrewardsandhonors——wehavenohirelingvotestotruckleto——weknowourfriends!EvenI——Clarence——I\"——therewasastrangepathosinthesuddenhumilitythatseemedtoovercomeher——\"Ihavehadmyrewardandknownmypower。Ihavebeensentabroad,intheconfidenceofthehighest——tothehighest。Don’tturnfromme。Iamofferingyounobribe,Clarence,onlyyourdeserts。Comewithme。Leavethesecursbehind,andlivetheherothatyouare!\"
Heturnedhisblazingeyesuponher。
\"Ifyouwereaman\"——hebeganpassionately,thenstopped。
\"No!Iamonlyawomanandmustfightinawoman’sway,\"sheinterruptedbitterly。\"Yes!Iintreat,Iimplore,Iwheedle,I
flatter,Ifawn,Ilie!Icreepwhereyoustandupright,andpassthroughdoorstowhichyouwouldnotbow。Youwearyourblazonofhonoronyourshoulder;Ihidemineinaslave’sgown。AndyetI
haveworkedandstrivenandsuffered!Listen,Clarence,\"hervoiceagainsanktoitsappealingminor,——\"Iknowwhatyoumencall’honor,’thatwhichmakesyouclingtoamerelyspokenword,oranemptyoath。Well,letthatpass!Iamweary;Ihavedonemyshareofthiswork,youhavedoneyours。Letusbothfly;letusleavethefighttothosewhoshallcomeafterus,andletusgotogethertosomedistantlandwherethesoundsofthesegunsorthebloodofourbrothersnolongercryouttousforvengeance!Therearethoselivinghere——Ihavemetthem,Clarence,\"shewentonhurriedly,\"whothinkitwrongtoliftupfratricidalhandsinthestruggle,yetwhocannotliveundertheNorthernyoke。Theyare,\"
hervoicehesitated,\"goodmenandwomen——theyarerespected——theyare\"——
\"Recreantsandslaves,beforewhomyou,spyasyouare——standaqueen!\"brokeinBrant,passionately。Hestoppedandturnedtowardsthewindow。Afterapausehecamebackagaintowardsthebed——pausedagainandthensaidinalowervoice——\"Fouryearsago,Alice,inthepatioofourhouseatRobles,Imighthavelistenedtothisproposal,and——Itrembletothink——Imighthaveacceptedit!Ilovedyou;Iwasasweak,asselfish,asunreflecting,mylifewasaspurposeless——butforyou——asthecreaturesyouspeakof。Butgivemenow,atleast,thecreditofadevotiontomycauseequaltoyourown——acreditwhichIhaveneverdeniedyou!
Forthenightthatyouleftme,Iawoketoasenseofmyownworthlessnessanddegradation——perhapsIhaveeventothankyouforthatawakening——andIrealizedthebittertruth。ButthatnightI
foundmytruevocation——mypurpose,mymanhood\"——
Abitterlaughcamefromthepillowonwhichshehadlanguidlythrownherself。
\"IbelieveIleftyouwithMrs。Hooker——sparemethedetails。\"
ThebloodrushedtoBrant’sfaceandthenrecededassuddenly。
\"YouleftmewithCaptainPinckney,whohadtemptedyou,andwhomI
killed!\"hesaidfuriously。
Theywerebothstaringsavagelyateachother。Suddenlyhesaid,\"Hush!\"andsprangtowardsthedoor,asthesoundofhurriedfootstepsechoedalongthepassage。Buthewastoolate;itwasthrownopentotheofficeroftheguard,whoappeared,standingonthethreshold。
\"TwoConfederateofficersarrestedhoveringaroundourpickets。
Theydemandtoseeyou。\"
BeforeBrantcouldinterpose,twomeninridingcloaksofConfederategraysteppedintotheroomwithajauntyandself-
confidentair。
\"NotDEMAND,general,\"saidtheforemost,atall,distinguished-
lookingman,liftinghishandwithagracefuldeprecatingair。\"Infact,toosorrytobotheryouwithanaffairofnoimportanceexcepttoourselves。Abitofafter-dinnerbravadobroughtusincontactwithyourpickets,and,ofcourse,wehadtotaketheconsequences。Servedusright,andwewereluckynottohavegotabulletthroughus。Gad!I’mafraidmymenwouldhavebeenlessdiscreet!IamColonelLagrange,ofthe5thTennessee;myyoungfriendhereisCaptainFaulkner,ofthe1stKentucky。Someexcuseforayoungsterlikehim——noneforme!I\"——
Hestopped,forhiseyessuddenlyfelluponthebedanditsoccupant。Bothheandhiscompanionstarted。Buttothenatural,unaffecteddismayofagentlemanwhohadunwittinglyintrudeduponalady’sbedchamber,Brant’squickeyesawamoredisastrousconcernsuperadded。ColonelLagrangewasquicktorecoverhimself,astheybothremovedtheircaps。
\"Athousandpardons,\"hesaid,hurriedlysteppingbackwardstothedoor。\"ButIhardlyneedsaytoafellow-officer,general,thatwehadnoideaofmakingsogrossanintrusion!Weheardsomecock-
and-bullstoryofyourbeingoccupied——cross-questioninganescapedorescapingnigger——orweshouldneverhaveforcedourselvesuponyou。\"
Brantglancedquicklyathiswife。Herfacehadapparentlybecomerigidontheentranceofthetwomen;hereyeswerecoldlyfixedupontheceiling。Hebowedformally,and,withawaveofhishandtowardsthedoor,said,——
\"Iwillhearyourstorybelow,gentleman。\"
Hefollowedthemfromtheroom,stoppedtoquietlyturnthekeyinthelock,andthenmotionedthemtoprecedehimdownthestaircase。
CHAPTERVII。
NotawordwasexchangedtilltheyhadreachedthelowerlandingandBrant’sprivateroom。Dismissinghissubalternandorderlywithasign,Brantturnedtowardshisprisoners。Thejauntyease,butnottheself-possession,hadgonefromLagrange’sface;theeyesofCaptainFaulknerwerefixedonhisoldercompanionwithahalf-humorouslookofperplexity。
\"IamafraidIcanonlyrepeat,general,thatourfoolhardyfreakhasputusincollisionwithyoursentries,\"saidLagrange,withaslighthauteur,thatreplacedhisformerjauntiness;\"andwewereveryproperlymadeprisoners。Ifyouwillacceptmyparole,Ihavenodoubtourcommanderwillproceedtoexchangeacoupleofgallantfellowsofyours,whomIhavehadthehonorofmeetingwithinourownlines,andwhomyoumustmissprobablymorethanIfearoursuperiorsmissus。\"
\"Whateverbroughtyouhere,gentlemen,\"saidBrantdrily,\"Iamglad,foryoursakes,thatyouareinuniform,althoughitdoesnot,unfortunately,relievemeofanunpleasantduty。\"
\"Idon’tthinkIunderstandyou,\"returnedLagrange,coldly。
\"Ifyouhadnotbeeninuniform,youwouldprobablyhavebeenshotdownasspies,withoutthetroubleofcapture,\"saidBrantquietly。
\"Doyoumeantoimply,sir\"——beganLagrangesternly。
\"ImeantosaythattheexistenceofaConfederatespybetweenthiscampandthedivisionheadquartersissufficientlywellknowntoustojustifythestrongestaction。\"
\"Andpray,howcanthataffectus?\"saidLagrangehaughtily。
\"IneednotinformsooldasoldierasColonelLagrangethattheaiding,abetting,andevenreceivinginformationfromaspyortraitorwithinone’slinesisanequallydangerousservice。\"
\"Perhapsyouwouldliketosatisfyyourself,General,\"saidColonelLagrange,withanironicallaugh。\"Praydonothesitateonaccountofouruniform。Searchusifyoulike。\"
\"Notonenteringmylines,Colonel,\"repliedBrant,withquietsignificance。
Lagrange’scheekflushed。Butherecoveredhimselfquickly,andwithaformalbowsaid,——
\"Youwill,then,perhaps,letusknowyourpleasure?\"
\"MyDUTY,Colonel,istokeepyoubothcloseprisonershereuntilI
haveanopportunitytoforwardyoutothedivisioncommander,withareportofthecircumstancesofyourarrest。ThatIproposetodo。HowsoonImayhavethatopportunity,orifIamevertohaveit,\"continuedBrant,fixinghiscleareyessignificantlyonLagrange,\"dependsuponthechancesofwar,whichyouprobablyunderstandaswellasIdo。\"
\"WeshouldneverthinkofmakinganycalculationontheactionofanofficerofsuchinfiniteresourcesasGeneralBrant,\"saidLagrangeironically。
\"Youwill,nodoubt,haveanopportunityofstatingyourowncasetothedivisioncommander,\"continuedBrant,withanunmovedface。
\"And,\"hecontinued,turningforthefirsttimetoCaptainFaulkner,\"whenyoutellthecommanderwhatIbelievetobethefact——fromyournameandresemblance——thatyouarearelationoftheyoungladywhoforthelastthreeweekshasbeenaninmateofthishouseunderapassfromWashington,youwill,Ihavenodoubt,favorablyexplainyourownpropinquitytomylines。\"
\"MysisterTilly!\"saidtheyoungofficerimpulsively。\"Butsheisnolongerhere。ShepassedthroughthelinesbacktoWashingtonyesterday。No,\"headded,withalightlaugh,\"I’mafraidthatexcusewon’tcountforto-day。\"
Asuddenfrownuponthefaceoftheelderofficer,addedtotheperfectingenuousnessofFaulkner’sspeech,satisfiedBrantthathehadnotonlyelicitedthetruth,butthatMissFaulknerhadbeensuccessful。Buthewassincereinhissuggestionthatherrelationshiptotheyoungofficerwouldinclinethedivisioncommandertolooklenientlyuponhisfault,forhewasconsciousofasingularsatisfactioninthusbeingabletoserveher。Oftherealobjectofthetwomenbeforehimhehadnodoubt。Theywere\"thefriends\"ofhiswife,whowerewaitingforheroutsidethelines!Chancealonehadsavedherfrombeingarrestedwiththem,withtheconsequentexposureofhertreacherybeforehisownmen,who,asyet,hadnoproofofherguilt,noranysuspicionofheractualidentity。Meanwhilehisownchanceofconveyingherwithsafetybeyondhislineswasnotaffectedbytheincident;theprisonersdarenotrevealwhattheyknewofher,anditwaswithagrimtriumphthathethoughtofcompassingherescapewithouttheiraid。Nothingofthis,however,wasvisibleinhisface,whichtheyoungermanwatchedwithakindofboyishcuriosity,whileColonelLagrangeregardedtheceilingwithapolitelyrepressedyawn。\"I
regret,\"concludedBrant,ashesummonedtheofficeroftheguard,\"thatIshallhavetodepriveyouofeachother’scompanyduringthetimeyouarehere;butIshallseethatyou,separately,wantfornothinginyourconfinement。\"
\"Ifthisiswithaviewtoseparateinterrogatory,general,Icanretirenow,\"saidLagrange,rising,withironicalpoliteness。
\"IbelieveIhavealltheinformationIrequire,\"returnedBrant,withundisturbedcomposure。Givingthenecessaryorderstohissubaltern,heacknowledgedwithequalcalmtheformalsalutesofthetwoprisonersastheywereledaway,andreturnedquicklytohisbedroomabove。Hepausedinstinctivelyforamomentbeforethecloseddoor,andlistened。Therewasnosoundfromwithin。Heunlockedthedoor,andopenedit。
Soquietwastheinteriorthatforaninstant,withoutglancingatthebed,hecastaquicklookatthewindow,which,tillthen,hehadforgotten,andwhichherememberedgaveupontheverandaroof。
Butitwasstillclosed,andasheapproachedthebed,hesawhiswifestilllyingthere,intheattitudeinwhichhehadlefther。
Buthereyeswereringed,andslightlyfilmed,asifwithrecenttears。
Itwasperhapsthiscircumstancethatsoftenedhisvoice,stillharshwithcommand,ashesaid,——
\"Isupposeyouknewthosetwomen?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"AndthatIhaveputitoutoftheirpowertohelpyou?\"
\"Ido。\"
Therewassomethingsostrangelysubmissiveinhervoicethatheagainlookedsuspiciouslyather。Buthewasshockedtoseethatshewasquitepalenow,andthatthefirehadgoneoutofherdarkeyes。
\"ThenImaytellyouwhatismyplantosaveyou。But,first,youmustfindthismulattowomanwhohasactedasyourdouble。\"
\"Sheishere。\"
\"Here?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Howdoyouknowit?\"heasked,inquicksuspicion。
\"ShewasnottoleavethisplaceuntilsheknewIwassafewithinourlines。Ihavesomefriendswhoarefaithfultome。\"Afterapausesheadded,\"Shehasbeenherealready。\"
Helookedather,startled。\"Impossible——I\"——
\"Youlockedthedoor。Yes!butshehasasecondkey。Andevenifshehadnot,thereisanotherentrancefromthatcloset。Youdonotknowthishouse:youhavebeenheretwoweeks;Ispenttwoyearsofmylife,asagirl,inthisroom。\"
Anindescribablesensationcameoverhim;herememberedhowhehadfeltwhenhefirstoccupiedit;thiswasfollowedbyakeensenseofshameonreflectingthathehadbeen,eversince,butahelplesspuppetinthepowerofhisenemies,andthatshecouldhaveescapedifshewould,evennow。
\"Perhaps,\"hesaidgrimly,\"youhavealreadyarrangedyourplans?\"
Shelookedathimwithasingularreproachfulnesseveninhersubmission。
\"Ihaveonlytoldhertobereadytochangeclotheswithmeandhelpmecolormyfaceandhandsatthetimeappointed。Ihavelefttheresttoyou。\"
\"Thenthisismyplan。Ihavechangedonlyadetail。Youandshemustbothleavethishouseatthesametime,bydifferentexits,butoneofthemmustbeprivate——andunknowntomymen。Doyouknowofsuchaone?\"
\"Yes,\"shesaid,\"intherearofthenegroquarters。\"
\"Good,\"hereplied,\"thatwillbeyourwayout。Shewillleavehere,publicly,throughtheparade,armedwithapassfromme。Shewillbeoverhauledandchallengedbythefirstsentryneartheguardhouse,belowthewall。Shewillbesubjectedtosomedelayandscrutiny,whichshewill,however,beabletopassbetterthanyouwould。Thiswillcreatethemomentarydiversionthatwerequire。Inthemeantime,youwillhaveleftthehousebytherear,andyouwillthenkeepintheshadowofthehedgeuntilyoucandropdownalongtheRun,whereitemptiesintotheswamp。
That,\"hecontinued,fixinghiskeeneyesuponher,\"istheoneweakpointinthepositionofthisplacethatisneitheroverlookednordefended。Butperhaps,\"headdedagaingrimly,\"youalreadyknowit。\"
\"Itisthemarshwheretheflowersgrow,nearthepathwhereyoumetMissFaulkner。Ihadcrossedthemarshtogiveheraletter,\"
shesaidslowly。
AbittersmilecameoverBrant’sface,butpassedasquickly。
\"Enough,\"hesaidquietly,\"IwillmeetyoubesidetheRun,andcrossthemarshwithyouuntilyouarewithinhailingdistanceofyourlines。Iwillbeinplainclothes,Alice,\"hewentonslowly,\"foritwillnotbethecommanderofthisforcewhoaccompaniesyou,butyourhusband,and,withoutdisgracinghisuniform,hewilldroptoyourlevel;fortheinstanthepasseshisownlines,indisguise,hewillbecome,likeyou,aspy,andamenabletoitspenalties。\"
Hereyesseemedsuddenlytoleapuptohiswiththatstrangelookofawakeningandenthusiasmwhichhehadnotedbefore。Andinitscompleteprepossessionofallherinstinctssherosefromthebed,unheedingherbaredarmsandshouldersandloosenedhair,andstooduprightbeforehim。ForaninstanthusbandandwiferegardedeachotherasunreservedlyasintheirownchamberatRobles。
\"WhenshallIgo?\"
Heglancedthroughthewindowalreadygrowinglighterwiththecomingdawn。Thereliefwouldpassinafewmoments;thetimeseemedpropitious。
\"Atonce,\"hesaid。\"IwillsendRosetoyou。\"
Buthiswifehadalreadypassedintothecloset,andwastappinguponsomeinnerdoor。Heheardthesoundofhingesturningandtherustlingofgarments。Shereappeared,holdingthecurtainsoftheclosettogetherwithherhand,andsaid,——
\"Go!Whenshecomestoyourofficeforthepass,youwillknowthatIhavegone。\"
Heturnedaway。
\"Stop!\"shesaidfaintly。
Heturnedback。Herexpressionhadagainchanged。Herfacewasdeadlypale;astrangetremorseemedtohavetakenpossessionofher。Herhandsdroppedfromthecurtain。Herbeautifularmsmovedslightlyforward;itseemedtohimthatshewouldinthenextmomenthaveextendedthemtowardshim。Buteventhenshesaidhurriedly,\"Go!Go!\"andslippedagainbehindthecurtains。
Hequicklydescendedthestairsasthesoundoftramplingfeetontheroad,andthehurriedwordofcommand,announcedthereturnofthescoutingparty。Theofficerhadlittlereporttomakebeyondthefactthatamorningmist,creepingalongthevalley,preventedanyfurtherobservation,andbadefairtointerrupttheirowncommunicationswiththecamp。Everythingwasquietinthewest,althoughtheenemy’slinesalongtheridgeseemedtohavereceded。
Branthadlistenedimpatiently,foranewideahadseizedhim。
Hookerwasoftheparty,andwastheonemaninwhomhecouldpartlyconfide,andobtainadisguise。Heatoncemadehiswaytothecommissarywagons——oneofwhichheknewHookerusedasatent。
Hastilytellinghimthathewishedtovisitthepicketswithoutrecognition,heinducedhimtolendhimhisslouchedhatandfrockcoat,leavingwithhimhisowndistinguishingtunic,hat,andsword。HeresistedthebeltandpistolswhichHookerwouldhaveforceduponhim。Asheleftthewagonhewasamusedlyconsciousthathisoldcompanionwascharacteristicallyexaminingthegarmentshehadleftbehindwithmingledadmirationandenvy。Buthedidnotknow,asheslippedoutofthecamp,thatMr。Hookerwasquietlytryingthemon,beforeabrokenmirrorinthewagon-head!
Thegraylightofthatsummermorningwasalreadysostrongthat,toavoiddetection,hequicklydroppedintotheshadowofthegullythatslopedtowardstheRun。Thehotmistwhichthescoutshadseenwasnowlyinglikeatranquilseabetweenhimandthepicketsoftheenemy’srear-guard,whichitseemedtosubmerge,andwasclinginginmoisttenuousswathes——likedrawn-outcottonwool——
alongtheridge,halfobliteratingitsface。Fromthevalleyintherearitwasalreadystealinginathinwhitelineuptheslopeliketheadvanceofaghostlycolumn,withastealthinessthat,inspiteofhimself,touchedhimwithsuperstitioussignificance。A
warmperfume,languidandtreacherous——asfromtheswampmagnolia——
seemedtorisefromthehalf-hiddenmarsh。Anominoussilence,thatappearedtobeapartofthisveilingofallthingsundertheclearopal-tintedskyabove,wassolittlelikethehushofrestandpeace,thathehalf-yearnedfortheoutburstofmusketryandtumultofattackthatmightdispelit。AllthathehadeverheardordreamedoftheinsidiousSouth,withitslanguidsubtletiesofclimateandofrace,seemedtoencompasshimhere。
Butthenextmomenthesawthefigurehewaswaitingforstealingtowardshimfromtheshadowofthegulleybeneaththenegroquarters。
Eveninthatuncertainlighttherewasnomistakingthetallfigure,thegaudilystripedclinginggownandturbanedhead。Andthenastrangerevulsionoffeeling,quitecharacteristicoftheemotionalsideofhissingulartemperament,overcamehim。Hewastakingleaveofhiswife——thedreamofhisyouth——perhapsforever!
ItshouldbenopartinginangerasatRobles;itshouldbewithatendernessthatwouldblotouttheirpastintheirseparatememories——Godknows!itmightevenbethatapartingatthatmomentwasajoiningofthemineternity。Inhismomentaryexaltationitevenstruckhimthatitwasaduty,nolesssacred,nolessunselfishthantheonetowhichhehaddevotedhislife。Thelightwasgrowingstronger;hecouldhearvoicesinthenearestpicketline,andthesoundofacoughintheinvadingmist。Hemadeahurriedsigntotheon-comingfiguretofollowhim,ranahead,andhaltedatlastinthecoverofahackmatackbush。Stillgazingforwardoverthemarsh,hestealthilyheldouthishandbehindhimastherustlingskirtcamenearer。Atlasthishandwastouched——
butevenatthattouchhestartedandturnedquickly。
Itwasnothiswife,butRose!——hermulattodouble!Herfacewasrigidwithfright,herbeadyeyesstaringintheirchinasockets,herwhiteteethchattering。Yetshewouldhavespoken。
\"Hush!\"hesaid,clutchingherhand,inafiercewhisper。\"Notaword!\"
Shewasholdingsomethingwhiteinherfingers;hesnatcheditquickly。Itwasanotefromhiswife——notinthedisguisedhandofherfirstwarning,butinonethatherememberedasifitwereavoicefromtheirpast。
\"Forgivemefordisobeyingyoutosaveyoufromcapture,disgrace,ordeath——whichwouldhavecometoyouwhereyouweregoing!I
havetakenRose’spass。Youneednotfearthatyourhonorwillsufferbyit,forifIamstoppedIshallconfessthatItookitfromher。Thinknomoreofme,Clarence,butonlyofyourself。
Youareindanger。\"
Hecrushedtheletterinhishand。
\"Tellme,\"hesaidinafiercewhisper,seizingherarm,\"andspeaklow。Whendidyouleaveher?\"
\"Sho’lyjustnow!\"gaspedthefrightenedwoman。
Heflungheraside。Theremightbestilltimetoovertakeandsaveherbeforeshereachedthepicketlines。Heranupthegully,andoutontotheslopetowardsthefirstguard-post。Butafamiliarchallengereachedhisear,andhisheartstoppedbeating。
\"Whogoesthere?\"
Therewasapause,arattleofarmsvoices——anotherpause——andBrantstoodbreathlesslylistening。Thenthevoiceroseagainslowlyandclearly:\"Passthemulattowoman!\"
ThankGod!shewassaved!Butthethoughthadscarcelycrossedhismindbeforeitseemedtohimthatablindingcrackleofsparksburstoutalongthewholeslopebelowthewall,acharacteristicyellwhichheknewtoowellranginhisears,andanundulatinglineofdustyfigurescameleapinglikegraywolvesoutofthemistuponhispickets。Heheardtheshoutsofhismenfallingbackastheyfired;theharshcommandsofafewofficershurryingtotheirposts,andknewthathehadbeenhopelesslysurprisedandsurrounded!
Heranforwardamonghisdisorganizedmen。Tohisconsternationnooneseemedtoheedhim!Thentheremembranceofhisdisguiseflasheduponhim。Buthehadonlytimetothrowawayhishatandsnatchaswordfromafallinglieutenant,beforeascorchingflashseemedtopassbeforehiseyesandburnthroughhishair,andhedroppedlikealogbesidehissubaltern……
Anachingunderthebandagearoundhisheadwhereaspentbullethadgrazedhisscalp,andthesoundofimpossiblevoicesinhisearswereallheknewashestruggledslowlybacktoconsciousnessagain。Eventhenitstillseemedadelusion,——forhewaslyingonacotinhisownhospital,yetwithofficersofthedivisionstaffaroundhim,andthedivisioncommanderhimselfstandingbyhisside,andregardinghimwithanairofgravebutnotunkindlyconcern。Butthewoundedmanfeltinstinctivelythatitwasnottheeffectofhisphysicalcondition,andasenseofshamecamesuddenlyoverhim,whichwasnotdissipatedbyhissuperior’swords。For,motioningtheothersaside,themajor-generalleanedoverhiscot,andsaid,——
\"Untilafewmomentsago,thereportwasthatyouhadbeencapturedinthefirstrushoftherear-guardwhichwewererollingupforyourattack,andwhenyouwerepickedup,justnow,inplainclothesontheslope,youwerenotrecognized。Theonethingseemedtobeasimprobableastheother,\"headdedsignificantly。
ThemiserabletruthflashedacrossBrant’smind。Hookermusthavebeencapturedinhisclothes——perhapsinsomeextravagantsally——
andhadnotbeenrecognizedintheconfusionbyhisownofficers。
Nevertheless,heraisedhiseyestohissuperior。
\"Yougotmynote?\"
Thegeneral’sbrowdarkened。
\"Yes,\"hesaidslowly,\"butfindingyouthusunprepared——Ihadbeenthinkingjustnowthatyouhadbeendeceivedbythatwoman——orbyothers——andthatitwasaclumsyforgery。\"Hestopped,andseeingthehopelessbewildermentinthefaceofthewoundedman,addedmorekindly:\"Butwewillnottalkofthatinyourpresentcondition。Thedoctorsaysafewhourswillputyoustraightagain。Getstrong,forIwantyoutolosenotime——foryourownsake——toreportyourselfatWashington。\"
\"Reportmyself——atWashington!\"repeatedBrantslowly。
\"Thatwaslastnight’sorder,\"saidthecommander,withmilitarycurtness。Thenheburstout:\"Idon’tunderstandit,Brant!I
believeyouhavebeenmisunderstood,misrepresented,perhapsmalignedandIshallmakeitMYbusinesstoseethethingthrough——
butthosearetheDepartmentorders。Andforthepresent——Iamsorrytosayyouarerelievedofyourcommand。\"
Heturnedaway,andBrantclosedhiseyes。Withthemitseemedtohimthatheclosedhiscareer。Noonewouldeverunderstandhisexplanation——evenhadhebeentemptedtogiveone,andheknewheneverwould。Everythingwasovernow!Eventhiswretchedbullethadnotstruckhimfairly,andculminatedhisfateasitmight!
Foraninstant,herecalledhiswife’slastoffertoflywithhimbeyondtheseas——beyondthiscruelinjustice——butevenasherecalledit,heknewthatflightmeanttheworstofall——ahalf-
confession!Butshehadescaped!ThankGodforthat!Againandagaininhishopelessperplexitythiscomfortreturnedtohim,——hehadsavedher;hehaddonehisduty。Andharpinguponthisinhisstrangefatalism,itatlastseemedtohimthatthiswasforwhathehadlived——forwhathehadsuffered——forwhathehadfitlyendedhiscareer。Perhapsitwasleftforhimnowtopasshisremainingyearsinforgottenexile——evenashisfatherhad——hisfather!——hisbreathcamequicklyatthethought——Godknows!perhapsaswrongfullyaccused!ItmayhavebeenaProvidencethatshehadbornehimnochild,towhomthisdreadfulheritagecouldbeagaintransmitted。
Therewassomethingofthisstrangeandfatefulresignationinhisface,afewhourslater,whenhewasabletobehelpedagainintothesaddle。Buthecouldseeintheeyesofthefewcomradeswhocommiseratinglytookleaveofhim,avague,half-repressedaweofsomeindefiniteweaknessintheman,thatmingledwiththeirheartfeltpartingwithagallantsoldier。Yeteventhistouchedhimnolonger。Hecastaglanceatthehouseandtheroomwherehehadpartedfromher,attheslopefromwhichshehadpassed——androdeaway。
Andthen,ashisfiguredisappeareddowntheroad,therestrainedcommentaryofwonder,surmise,andcriticismbrokeout:——
\"Itmusthavebeensomethingmightybad,fortheoldman,whoswearsbyhim,lookedrathertroubled。Anditwasdeucedqueer,youknow,thischangingclotheswithsomebody,justbeforethissurprise!\"
\"Nonsense!It’ssomethingawaybackofthat!Didn’tyouheartheoldmansaythattheordersforhimtoreporthimselfcamefromWashingtonLASTNIGHT?No!\"——thespeakerloweredhisvoice——
\"Strangewayssaysthathehadregularlysoldhimselfouttooneofthemd————dseceshwomanspies!It’stheoldMarcAntonybusinessoveragain!\"
\"NowIthinkofit,\"saidayoungersubaltern,\"hedidseemmightilytakenwithoneofthosequadroonsormulattoesheissuedordersagainst。Isupposethatwasablindforus!Irememberthefirstdayhesawher;hewasregularlykeentoknowallabouther。\"
MajorCurtisgaveashortlaugh。
\"Thatmulatto,Martin,wasawhitewoman,burnt-corked!Shewastryingtogetthroughthelineslastnight,andfelloffawallorgotaknockontheheadfromasentry’scarbine。Whenshewasbroughtin,DoctorSimmonssettowashingthebloodoffherface;
thecorkcameoffandthewholethingcameout。Branthusheditup——andthewoman,too——inhisownquarters!It’ssupposednowthatshegotawaysomehowintherush!\"
\"Itgoesfurtherbackthanthat,gentlemen,\"saidtheadjutantauthoritatively。\"Theysayhiswifewasahowlingsecessionist,fouryearsago,inCalifornia,wasmixedupinaconspiracy,andhehadtoleaveonaccountofit。LookhowthickheandthatMissFaulknerbecame,beforehehelpedHERoff!\"
\"That’syourjealousy,Tommy;sheknewhewas,byallodds,thebiggestmanhere,andagooddealmore,too,andyouhadnoshow!\"
Inthelaughthatfollowed,itwouldseemthatBrant’seulogyhadbeenspokenandforgotten。ButasLieutenantMartinwasturningaway,alingeringcorporaltouchedhiscap。
\"Youwerespeakingofthoseprowlingmulattoes,sir。Youknowthegeneralpassedoneoutthismorning。\"
\"SoIhaveheard。\"
\"Ireckonshedidn’tgetveryfar。Itwasjustatthetimethatweweredriveninbytheirfirstfire,andIthinkshegothershareofit,too。Doyoumindwalkingthisway,sir!\"
Thelieutenantdidnotmind,althoughheratherlanguidlyfollowed。
Whentheyhadreachedthetopofthegully,thecorporalpointedtowhatseemedtobeabitofstripedcalicohangingonathornbushintheravine。
\"That’sher,\"saidthecorporal。\"Iknowthedress;Iwasonguardwhenshewaspassed。Thesearchers,whowerepickingupourmen,haven’tgottoheryet;butsheain’tmovedorstirredthesetwohours。Wouldyouliketogodownandseeher?\"
Thelieutenanthesitated。Hewasyoung,andslightlyfastidiousastounnecessaryunpleasantness。Hebelievedhewouldwaituntilthesearchersbroughtherup,whenthecorporalmightcallhim。
Themistcameupgloriouslyfromtheswamplikeagoldenhalo。AndasClarenceBrant,alreadyforgotten,rodemoodilythroughittowardsWashington,huggingtohisheartthesolitarycomfortofhisgreatsacrifice,hiswife,AliceBrant,forwhomhehadmadeit,waslyingintheravine,deadanduncaredfor。Perhapsitwaspartoftheinconsistencyofhersexthatshewaspiercedwiththebulletsofthoseshehadloved,andwaswearingthegarmentsoftheracethatshehadwronged。
PARTIII。
CHAPTERI。
ItwassunsetofahotdayatWashington。Evenatthathourthebroadavenues,whichdivergedfromtheCapitolliketheraysofanothersun,werefierceandglittering。Thesteriledistancesbetweenglowedmorecruellythanever,andpedestrians,keepinginthescantshade,hesitatedonthecurbstonesbeforeplungingintotheSahara-likewasteofcrossings。Thecityseemeddeserted。
Eventhatvastarmyofcontractors,speculators,place-hunters,andlobbyists,whichhungontheheelsoftheotherarmy,andhadturnedthispacificcampofthenationintoabattlefieldofignobleconflictandcontention——moredisastrousthantheonetotheSouth——hadslunkintotheirholesinhotelbackbedrooms,inshadybarrooms,orinthenegroquartersofGeorgetown,asifthemajestic,white-robedGoddessenthroneduponthedomeoftheCapitolhadatlastdescendedamongthemandwassmitingtorightandleftwiththeflatandflashofherinsufferablesword。
IntothisstiflingatmosphereofgreedandcorruptionClarenceBrantsteppedfromtheshadowoftheWarDepartment。Forthelastthreeweekshehadhaunteditsante-roomsandaudience-chambers,inthevainhopeofrightinghimselfbeforehissuperiors,whowerecontent,withoutformulatingchargesagainsthim,tokeephiminthisdisgraceofinactionandtheanxietyofsuspense。Unabletoascertainthedetailsoftheaccusation,andconsciousofhisownsecret,hewasdebarredthelastresortofdemandingacourt-
martial,whichheknewcouldonlyexoneratehimbytheexposureoftheguiltofhiswife,whomhestillhopedhadsafelyescaped。Hisdivisioncommander,inactiveoperationsinthefield,hadnotimetohelphimatWashington。Elbowedasidebygreedycontractors,forestalledbyselfishpoliticians,anddisdainingtheordinarymethodofinfluence,hehadnofriendtoturnto。Inhisfewyearsofcampaigninghehadlosthisinstinctofdiplomacy,withoutacquiringasoldier’sbluntness。
Thenearlylevelraysofthesunforcedhimatlasttoturnasideintooneoftheopeningsofalargebuilding——afamouscaravansaryofthathotel-hauntedcapital,andhepresentlyfoundhimselfintheluxuriousbar-room,fragrantwithmint,andcoolwithice-slabspiledsymmetricallyonitsmarblecounters。Afewgroupsofmenwereseekingcoolnessatsmalltableswithglassesbeforethemandpalm-leaffansintheirhands,butalargerandnoisierassemblagewascollectedbeforethebar,whereaman,collarlessandinhisshirt-sleeves,withhisbacktothecounter,waspretentiouslyaddressingthem。Brant,whohadmoodilydroppedintoachairinthecorner,afterorderingacoolingdrinkasanexcuseforhistemporaryrefugefromthestiflingstreet,half-regrettedhisenforcedparticipationintheirconviviality。Butasuddenloweringofthespeaker’svoiceintoanoteofgloomysignificanceseemedfamiliartohim。Heglancedathimquickly,fromtheshadowofhiscorner。Hewasnotmistaken——itwasJimHooker!
Forthefirsttimeinhislife,Brantwishedtoevadehim。Inthedaysofhisownprosperityhishearthadalwaysgoneouttowardsthisoldcompanionofhisboyhood;inhispresenthumiliationhispresencejarreduponhim。Hewouldhaveslippedaway,buttodosohewouldhavehadtopassbeforethecounteragain,andHooker,withtheself-consciousnessofastory-teller,hadaneyeonhisaudience。Brant,withapalm-leaffanbeforehisface,wasobligedtolisten。