ace of her young hart."

"But I tell you what, Cap'n, it's devilish hard to worm a secret out of
these women kind. They'll tell any body else's secret, fast enough, but
d--n me if it don't seem as how they only do that to give more room to
keep their own."

"Well, we must try at any rate. It is not for you to oppose with your
impertinent objections what I may choose order. I hope you are soldier
enough to have learned that it is only your duty to obey."

"Oh! yes, Cap'n. I've learned that lesson long ago--and what's more, I
learned it on horseback, but, faith, it was one of those wooden steeds
that made me do all the travelling. Why, Lord bless me, to obey! It's
one of my ten commandments. I've got it written in stripes that's
legible on my shoulders now. 'Obey your officers in all things that your
days may be long and your back unskinned.'"

"Well, stop your intolerable nonsense," said Bernard, "and hear what I
would say. We stay here to-night. There is an Indian girl who lives
here, a kind of upper servant. You must manage to see her and talk with
her. But mind, nothing of our object, or your tongue shall be blistered
for it. Tell her that I wish to see her, beneath the old oak tree to
night, at ten o'clock. If she refuses, tell her to 'remember
Berkenhead.' These words will act as a charm upon her. Remember--Hush,
here comes the Colonel."

It will be remembered by the reader that the magic of these two words,
which were to have such an influence upon the young Mamalis, was due to
the shrewd suspicion of Alfred Bernard, insinuated at the time, that she
was the assassin of the ill-fated Berkenhead. By holding this simple
rod, _in terrorem_, over the poor girl, Bernard now saw that he might
wield immense power over her, and if the secret of Hansford's
hiding-place had been confided to her, he might easily extort it either
by arousing her vengeance once more, or in default of that by a menace
of exposure and punishment for the murder. But first he determined to
see Virginia, and make his peace with her; and under the plausible
guise of sympathy in her distress and pity for Hansford, to excite in
her an interest in his behalf, even while he was plotting the ruin of
her lover.

With his usual pliancy of manner, and control over his feelings, he
engaged in conversation with Colonel Temple, humouring the well-known
prejudices of the old gentleman, and by a little dexterous flattery
winning over the unsuspicious old la