she looked at him, and as she gazed the colour left her face,
leaving it very pale, while her eyes showed a dazzling hue.

The forgotten battle flamed and thundered on the horizon.

"No," she replied, "I cannot give you such a promise."

"Lucia! You do not mean that! I know you do not. You must care for me a
little. One reason why you fled from Richmond was to save me!"

"Yes, I do care for you--a little. But do you care for me enough--ah! do
not interrupt me! Think of the time, the circumstances! One may say
things now which he might not mean in a cooler moment. You wish to
protect me--does a man marry a woman merely to protect her? I have
always been able to protect myself."

There was a flash of pride in her tone and her tall figure grew taller.
Prescott flushed a little and dropped his eyes for a moment.

"I have been unfortunate in my words, but, believe me, Lucia, I do not
mean it in that way. It is love, not protection, that I offer. I believe
that I loved you from the first--from the time I was pursuing you as a
spy; and I pursue you now, though for myself."

She shook her head sadly, though she smiled upon him. She was his enemy,
she said--she was of the North and he of the South--what would he say to
his friends in Richmond, and how could he compromise himself by such a
marriage? Moreover, it was a time of war, and one must not think of
love. He grew more passionate in his declaration as he saw that which he
wished slipping from him, and she, though still refusing him, let him
talk, because he said the things that she loved best to hear. All the
while the forgotten battle flamed and thundered on the northern horizon.
Its result and progress alike were of no concern to them; both North and
South had floated off in the distance.

Talbot came that way as they talked, and seeing the look on their faces,
started and turned back. They never saw him. Lucia remained fixed in her
resolve and only shook her head at Prescott's pleading.

"But at least," said Prescott, "that 'no' is not to apply forever. I
shall refuse to despair."

She smiled somewhat sadly without reply, and there was no opportunity to
say more, as others drew near, among them Mrs. Markham, wary and
keen-eyed as ever. She marked well the countenances of these two, but
reserved her observations for future use.

The battle reclaimed attention, silhouetted as it was in a great flaming
cloud against a twilight sky, and its low rumble was an unbr