and out at every station.
The morning's news from the various points at which the respective
forces were facing each other was the general topic of conversation, and
Vincent was interested in seeing how the tone gradually changed as the
passengers from St. Louis one by one left the train and their places
were taken by those of the more southern districts. At first the
sentiment expressed had been violently Northern, and there was no
dissent from the general chorus of hope and expectation that the South
were on their last legs and that the rebellion would shortly be stamped
out; but gradually, as the train approached the State of Tennessee, the
Unionist opinion, although expressed with even greater force and
violence, was by no means universal. Many men read their papers in
silence and took no part whatever in the conversation, but Vincent could
see from the angry glances which they shot at the speakers that the
sentiments uttered were distasteful to them. He himself had scarcely
spoken during the whole journey. He had for some time devoted himself to
the newspaper, and had then purchased a book from the newsboy who
perambulated the cars. Presently a rough-looking man, who had been among
the wildest and most violent in his denunciation of the South, said,
looking at Vincent:

"I see by the papers to-day that one of the cursed rebel officers who
gave them the slip at Elmira is traveling in the disguise of a minister.
I guess it's mighty unpleasant to know that even if you meet a parson in
a train, like as not he is a rebel in disguise. Now, mister, may I ask
where you have come from and where you are going to?"

"You may ask what you like," Vincent said quietly; "but I am certainly
not going to answer impertinent questions."

A hum of approval was heard from several of the passengers.

"If you hadn't got that black coat on," the man said angrily, "I would
put you off the car in no time."

"Black coat or no black coat," Vincent said, "you may find it more
difficult than you think. My profession is a peaceful one; but even a
peaceful man, if assaulted, may defend himself. You say it's unpleasant
to know that if you travel with a man in a black coat he may be a
traitor. It's quite as unpleasant to me to know that if I travel with a
man in a brown one he may be a notorious ruffian, and may as likely as
not have just served his time in a penitentiary."

Two or three of the passengers laughed loudly. The man, starting up