ich might have been avoided. No one would have known--in a
day or two we would have been talking to General Lee. An excellent cigar,
James."

While his brother-in-law chatted lightly, apparently unconcerned, the
Union officer was considering this way or that out of the toils woven of
duty, affection and honour; but as he kept on seeking a mode of escape,
he was also hearing and watching the man before him with attention which
missed no word. He was barely conscious that the younger man appeared
enough at ease to dare to use language which the Federal officer felt to
be meant to annoy. A single word used by Grey stopped the Colonel's
mental mechanism as if a forceful brake had been applied. The man before
him had said carelessly, "_We_--_we_ would have been talking to General
Lee." The word "we" repeated itself in his mind like an echo. He too
lightly despised Grey's capacity as a spy, but he had said "we." There
were, it seemed, others; how many?--what had they done? This terribly
simplified the game. To arrest Grey would or might be useless. Who were
his companions and where were they? Once missing this confident
Confederate they might escape. To question Grey would be in vain. To give
him any hint that he had been imprudent would be to lose an advantage. He
was so intent on the question of how to carry out a decisive purpose that
he missed for the moment Grey's easy-minded talk, and then was suddenly
aware that Grey was really amusing himself with a cat-and-mouse game.
But now he too was at ease and became quietly civil as he filled another
pipe, and with an air of despair which altogether deceived Grey said, "I
see that I can do nothing, Henry. There is no reason to protract an
unpleasant matter."

"I supposed you would reach this very obvious conclusion." Then unable to
resist a chance to annoy a man who had given him a needless half hour not
free from unpleasant possibilities, Grey rose and remarked, smiling, "I
hope when we occupy this town to meet you under more agreeable
circumstances."

"Sir," said Penhallow, "the painful situation in which I am placed does
not give you the freedom to insult me."

The Confederate was quite unaware that the Colonel was becoming more and
more a man to fear, "I beg pardon, James," he said, "I was only
anticipating history." As he spoke, he stood securing a neglected button
of his neat uniform. This act strangely exasperated the Colonel. "I will
see you out," he said. "The butt