the
narrow board walk, followed by curious eyes, and as they reached the
angle and stepped beneath the shelter of the piazza in front of the
long, low, green-blinded Bachelors' Row, there was sudden sensation in
the group. Mr. Jerrold appeared at the door of his quarters; Rollins
halted some fifty feet away, raised his cap, and left her; and, all
alone, with the eyes of Fort Sibley upon her, Nina Beaubien stepped
bravely forward to meet her lover.

They saw him greet her at the door. Some of them turned away, unwilling
to look, and yet unwilling to go and not understand this new phase of
the mystery. Rollins, looking neither to right nor left, repassed them
and walked off with a set, savage look on his young face, and then, as
one or two still gazed, fascinated by this strange and daring
proceeding, others, too, turned back and, half ashamed of themselves for
such a yielding to curiosity, glanced furtively over at Jerrold's door.

There they stood,--he, restrained by his arrest, unable to come forth;
she, restrained more by his barring form than by any consideration of
maidenly reserve, for, had he bidden, she would have gone within. She
had fully made up her mind that wherever he was, even were it behind the
sentinels and bars of the guard-house, she would demand that she be
taken to his side. He had handed out a chair, but she would not sit.
They saw her looking up into his face as he talked, and noted the eager
gesticulation, so characteristic of his Creole blood, that seemed to
accompany his rapid words. They saw her bending towards him, looking
eagerly up in his eyes, and occasionally casting indignant glances over
towards the group at the office, as though she would annihilate with her
wrath the persecutors of her hero. Then they saw her stretch forth both
her hands with a quick impulsive movement, and grasp his one instant,
looking so faithfully, steadfastly, loyally, into his clouded and
anxious face. Then she turned, and with quick, eager steps came tripping
towards them. They stood irresolute. Every man felt that it was
somebody's duty to step forward, meet her, and be her escort though the
party, but no one advanced. There was, if anything, a tendency to sidle
towards the office door, as though to leave the sidewalk unimpeded. But
she never sought to pass them by. With flashing eyes and crimson cheeks,
she bore straight upon them, and, with indignant emphasis upon every
word, accosted them:

"Captain Wilto