er walking before him alone in the lane as he
rode home to quarters. She was apparently lost in a half-impatient,
half-moody reverie, which even the trotting hoof-beats of his own and
his orderly's horse had not disturbed. From time to time she struck the
myrtle hedge beside her with the head of a large flower which hung
by its stalk from her listless hands, or held it to her face as if
to inhale its perfume. Dismissing his orderly by a side path, he rode
gently forward, but, to his surprise, without turning, or seeming to be
aware of his presence, she quickened her pace, and even appeared to look
from side to side for some avenue of escape. If only to mend matters, he
was obliged to ride quickly forward to her side, where he threw himself
from his horse, flung the reins on his arm, and began to walk beside
her. She at first turned a slightly flushed cheek away from him, and
then looked up with a purely simulated start of surprise.

"I am afraid," he said gently, "that I am the first to break my own
orders in regard to any intrusion on your privacy. But I wanted to ask
you if I could give you any aid whatever in the change you think of
making."

He was quite sincere,--had been touched by her manifest disturbance,
and, despite his masculine relentlessness of criticism, he had an
intuition of feminine suffering that was in itself feminine.

"Meaning, that you are in a hurry to get rid of me," she said curtly,
without raising her eyes.

"Meaning that I only wish to expedite a business which I think is
unpleasant to you, but which I believe you have undertaken from
unselfish devotion."

The scant expression of a reserved nature is sometimes more attractive
to women than the most fluent vivacity. Possibly there was also a
melancholy grace in this sardonic soldier's manner that affected her,
for she looked up, and said impulsively,--

"You think so?"

But he met her eager eyes with some surprise.

"I certainly do," he replied more coldly. "I can imagine your feelings
on finding your uncle's home in the possession of your enemies, and your
presence under the family roof only a sufferance. I can hardly believe
it a pleasure to you, or a task you would have accepted for yourself
alone."

"But," she said, turning towards him wickedly, "what if I did it only to
excite my revenge; what if I knew it would give me courage to incite my
people to carry war into your own homes; to make you of the North feel
as I feel, and ta