poor I was in resources to
make him happy. Then came another annoyance--my name and fame were
freely discussed at the fort."

"A natural consequence," sighed Herbert.

"The younger officers discovered my woodland home, and often stole out
to reconnoitre my calm. Among them was Captain Le Noir, who, after he
had discovered my retreat, picked acquaintance with Lura, my attendant.
Making the woodland sports his pretext, he haunted the vicinity of my
cabin, often stopping at the door to beg a cup of water, which, of
course, was never denied, or else to offer a bunch of partridges or a
brace of rabbits or some other game, the sports of his gun, which
equally, of course, was never accepted. One beautiful morning in June,
finding my cabin door open and myself alone, he ventured unbidden across
my threshold, and by his free conversation and bold admiration offended
and alarmed me. Some days afterward, in the mess-room at the fort, being
elevated by wine, he boasted among his messmates of the intimate terms
of friendly acquaintance upon which he falsely asserted that he had the
pleasure of standing with 'Warfield's pretty little favorite,' as he
insolently called me. When my husband heard of this I learned for the
first time the terrific violence of his temper. It was awful! it
frightened me almost to death. There was a duel, of course. Le Noir was
very dangerously wounded, scarred across the face for life, and was
confined many weeks to his bed. Major Warfield was also slightly hurt
and laid up at the fort for a few days, during which I was not permitted
to see him."

"Is it possible that even then he did not see your danger and
acknowledge your marriage and call you to his bedside?" inquired
Herbert, impatiently.

"No, no! if he had all after suffering had been spared. No! at the end
of four days he came back to me; but we met only for bitter reproaches
on his part and sorrowful tears on mine. He charged me with coldness,
upon account of the disparity in our years, and of the preference for
Captain Le Noir, because he was a pretty fellow, I knew this was not
true of me. I knew that I loved my husband's very footprints better than
I did the whole human race besides; but I could not tell him so then.
Oh, in those days, though my heart was so full, I had so little power of
utterance! There he stood before me! he that had been so ruddy and
buoyant, now so pale from loss of blood, and so miserable, that I could
have fallen an