went to Annapolis, too, where the Carvels
come from."

Stephen, sitting in the next house, writing out his account, little
dreamed that he was the subject of a conference in the third story front
of the Brinsmades'. Later, when the young ladies were asleep, he carried
his manuscript to the Democrat office, and delivered it into the hands
of his friend, the night editor, who was awaiting it.

Toward the end of that week, Miss Virginia Carvel was sitting with her
back to one of the great trees at Monticello reading a letter. Every
once in a while she tucked it under her cloak and glanced hastily
around. It was from Miss Anne Brinsmade.

"I have told you all about the excursion, my dear, and how we missed
you. You may remember" (ah, Anne, the guile there is in the best of us),
"you may remember Mr. Stephen Brice, whom we used to speak of. Pa and Ma
take a great interest in him, and Pa had him invited on the excursion.
He is more serious than ever, since he has become a full-fledged lawyer.
But he has a dry humor which comes out when you know him well, of which
I did not suspect him. His mother is the dearest lady I have ever known,
so quiet, so dignified, and so well bred. They come in to supper very
often. And the other night Mr. Brice told Pa so many things about the
people south of Market Street, the Germans, which he did not know; that
Pa was astonished. He told all about German history, and how they were
persecuted at home, and why they came here. Pa was surprised to hear
that many of them were University men, and that they were already
organizing to defend the Union. I heard Pa say, 'That is what Mr. Blair
meant when he assured me that we need not fear for the city.'

"Jinny dear, I ought not to have written you this, because you are for
Secession, and in your heart you think Pa a traitor, because he comes
from a slave state and has slaves of his own. But I shall not tear it
up.

"It is sad to think how rich Mrs. Brice lived in Boston, and what she
has had to come to. One servant and a little house, and no place to go
to in the summer, when they used to have such a large one. I often go in
to sew with her, but she has never once mentioned her past to me.

"Your father has no doubt sent you the Democrat with the account of the
Convention. It is the fullest published, by far, and was so much admired
that Pa asked the editor who wrote it. Who do you think, but Stephen
Brice! So now Pa knows why Mr. Brice hesitate