lways at home to my enemies, as you
ought to know."

"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Raymond. "You two can't fight. We can't afford
to lose Redfield. He's going to lead a brigade against the Yankees, and
if he'll only make one of those fiery speeches of his it will scare all
the blue-backs out of Virginia."

Redfield's red face flushed to a deeper hue, and he regarded the speaker
with aversion, but said nothing in reply, fearing Raymond's sharp
tongue. Instead, he turned upon Prescott, who looked like a mild youth
fit to stand much hectoring.

"You don't introduce me to your new friend," he said to Talbot.

"Mr. Redfield, Captain Prescott," said Talbot. "Mr. Redfield is a Member
of Congress and Captain Prescott comes from the Army of Northern
Virginia, though by way of North Carolina, where he has been recently on
some special duty."

"Ah, from the Army of Northern Virginia," said Redfield in a heavy
growl. "Then can you tell me, Mr. Prescott, why General Lee does not
drive the Yankees out of Virginia?"

A dark flush appeared on Prescott's face. Usually mild, he was not
always so, and he worshiped General Lee.

"I think it is because he does not have the help of men like yourself,"
he replied.

A faint ray of a smile crossed the face of Raymond, but the older man
was not pleased.

"Do you know, sir, that I belong to the Confederate Congress?" he
exclaimed angrily; "and moreover, I am a member of the Military
Committee. I have a right to ask these questions."

"Then," replied Prescott, "you should know that it is your duty to ask
them of General Lee and not of me, a mere subaltern."

"Now, Mr. Redfield," intervened Raymond, "don't pick a quarrel with
Captain Prescott. If there's to be a duel, Winthrop has first claim on
you, and I insist for the honour of my profession that he have it.
Moreover, since he is slender and you are far from it, I demand that he
have two shots to your one, as he will have at least twice as much to
kill."

Redfield growled out other angry words, which stopped under the cover of
his heavy mustache, and then turned abruptly away, leaving Prescott in
some doubt as to his personal courage but none at all as to his ill
will.

"It is the misfortune of the South," said Raymond, "to have such men as
that, who think to settle public questions by personal violence. They
give us a bad name which is not wholly undeserved. In fact, personal
violence is our great sin."

"And the man has a lot o