Virginia that glorious but useless full dress,--the high
bearskin rat, the red pigeon-tailed coat, the light blue trousers, and
the gorgeous, priceless shackle. Indeed, the boy looked stunning. He
held his big rifle like a veteran, and his face was set with a high
resolve there was no mistaking. The high color of her pride was on the
cheek of the girl as he brought his piece to the salute of her, his
mistress. And yet, when he was gone, and she sat alone amid the roses
awaiting him, came wilfully before her another face that was relentless
determination,--the face of Stephen Brice, as he had stood before her
in the summer house at Glencoe. Strive as she might against the thought,
deny it to herself and others, to Virginia Carvel his way become the
face of the North. Her patriotism and all that was in her of race
rebelled. To conquer that face she would have given her own soul, and
Clarence's. Angrily she had arisen and paced the garden walks, and cried
out aloud that it was not inflexible.

And now, by the car window, looking out over the endless roll of the
prairie, the memory of this was bitter within her.

Suddenly she turned to her father.

"Did you rent our house at Glencoe?" she asked.

"No, Jinny."

"I suppose Mr. Brice was too proud to accept it at your charitable rent,
even to save Mr. Whipple's life."

The Colonel turned to his daughter in mild surprise. She was leaning
back on the seat, her eyes half closed.

"Once you dislike a person, Jinny, you never get over it. I always had
a fancy for the young man, and now I have a better opinion of him than
ever before. It was I who insulted them by naming that rent."

"What did he do?" Virginia demanded.

"He came to my office yesterday morning. 'Colonel Carvel,' said he,
'I hear you wish to rent your house.' I said yes. 'You rented it once
before, sir,' said he. 'Yes,' said I. 'May I ask you what price you got
for it?' said he."

"And what did you say?" she asked, leaning forward.

"I told him," said the Colonel, smiling. "But I explained that I could
not expect to command that price now on short notice. He replied that
they would pay it, or not consider the place."

Virginia turned her head away and stared out over the fields.

"How could they afford it!" she murmured.

"Mr. Brinsmade tells me that young Brice won rather a remarkable case
last winter, and since then has had some practice. And that he writes
for the newspapers. I believe he declined