of news, and then I will give you a full account of my adventures from
the time when Dan got me out of prison, for it is entirely to him that I
owe my liberty."

"Well, what is the piece of news?" Annie asked.

"Guess!" Vincent replied, smiling.

"You have got promoted?" his mother said.

He shook his head.

"Is it about a lady?" Annie asked.

Vincent smiled.

"Oh, Vincent, you are not engaged to be married! That would be too
ridiculous!"

Vincent laughed and nodded.

"Annie is right, mother; I am engaged to be married."

Mrs. Wingfield looked grave, Rosie laughed, and Annie threw her arms
round his neck and kissed him.

"You dear, silly old boy!" she said. "I am glad, though it seems so
ridiculous. Who is she, and what is she like?"

"We needn't ask where she lives," Rosie said. "Of course it is in
Antioch, though how in the world you managed it all in the two or three
days you were there I can't make out."

Mrs. Wingfield's brow cleared. "At any rate, in that case, Vincent, she
is a Southerner. I was afraid at first it was some Yankee woman who had
perhaps sheltered you on your way."

"Is she older than you, Vincent?" Annie asked suddenly. "I shouldn't
like her to be older than you are."

"She is between sixteen and seventeen," Vincent replied, "and she is a
Southern girl, mother, and I am sure you will love her, for she saved my
life at the risk of her own, besides nursing me all the time I was ill."

"I have no doubt I shall love her, Vincent, for I think, my boy, that
you would not make a rash choice. I think you are young, much too young,
to be engaged; still, that is a secondary matter. Now tell us all about
it. We expected your story to be exciting, but did not dream that
love-making had any share in it."

Vincent accordingly told them the whole story of his adventures from the
time of his first meeting Dan in prison. When he related the episode of
Lucy's refusal to say whether he would return, although threatened with
instant death unless she did so, his narrative was broken by the
exclamations of his hearers.

"You need not say another word in praise of her," his mother said. "She
is indeed a noble girl, and I shall be proud of such a daughter."

"She must be a darling!" Annie exclaimed. "Oh, Vincent, how brave she
must be! I don't think I ever could have done that, with a pistol
pointing straight at you, and all those dreadful men round, and no hope
of a rescue; it's awful even to th