called after her, "Prudence, Prudence,
hasten not away so fast; there is one thing I forgot."

The girl at the sound of his voice retraced her steps a little, and
met Philip.

"Harkee in thine ear," said he, "for I must speak low. I did omit to
put my seal to our covenant;" and before Prudence was aware, he had
imprinted a smack upon her cheek.

"And there is mine," cried Prudence, hitting him a box upon the ear,
"and I warrant it will be as red as thine," and with that she bounded
like a deer away.

"The foul fiend fly away with me, an' I love not the girl dearly,"
exclaimed the soldier, looking after her with admiring eyes, as like a
red-winged butterfly she flew through the green bushes. "If I ever
have the luck to get her, I shall have a dame strong enough to carry
her part of our bundle. Well, go thy ways, Prudence Rix, for as
comely, and as sweet-breathed, and as kind a lass, notwithstanding the
weight of thy hand, as ever milked a cow in the old country."

The frame of mind in which the soldier now pursued his walk was very
different from that in which it had commenced. The dampness of the
prison which had begun to affect his health was forgotten, as the
genial sun gradually dried the clamminess out of his clothing, and he
inspired the reviving morning air. It seemed to him he could not drink
deep enough draughts of the woodland scents, which flowed so
deliciously through his lungs, as almost to compensate for the
suffering which he had endured. His unexpected interview with
Prudence, after he had given up all expectation of it, conduced also
to impart vivacity to his spirits, and he advanced, not with a rapid
pace, for of that his treatment in the jail had made him incapable,
but cheerfully and resolutely.

It was perhaps an hour afterwards, when Philip, as he was walking
slowly on, heard the sounds of a person coming after him, and looking
round, he beheld the man whom of all the world he least desired to
see. The whole temper of his spirit was at once changed. The peace
which, like a stream of perfumes, had been flowing into his soul, was
checked, and the atmosphere became hot and suffocating around him. It
was Spikeman approaching, who was on his way to a plantation he had in
the neighborhood, for there were few things promising profit to which
the adventurous speculator had not directed his attention.

Philip strove to keep the horns of the rising devil out of his heart,
and averting his head, stepp