"But my dear child," interrupted the general, quickly, "we didn't blow up the _Wabash_." "But you said that Major Lacy had succeeded!" said the girl in great bewilderment. "He did. The _Wabash_ and _Housatonic_ exchanged places during the night, and the latter was sunk. The _Wabash_ is all right. For your sake, my dear Miss Fanny, I say thank God for the mistake." "Then my father is safe?" "He is. Some Yankees we captured this morning say that he is to be relieved of his command and ordered North on a sick leave. He will no longer be in danger from us, you see." "Thank God, thank God!" cried the girl, and the relief in her voice and face seemed to make another woman of her. "It was wrong, I know. It was treason to the South--I love the South--but I strove to prevent--" "Ah!" exclaimed Beauregard. "I have it now! Sempland--" "Oh, sir!" cried the girl, "where is he?" "He is preparing," continued Beauregard, coolly--he had the clew to the mystery and he determined to follow it to the end--"to be tried by a court-martial--" "By a court-martial, General Beauregard! For what, sir?" "For disobedience of orders and neglect of duty, in the face of the enemy. And I am in two minds whether to these charges should be added cowardice and treason or not!" "Impossible!" exclaimed Fanny Glen. "Miss Glen, it is an absolute fact. He came to me yesterday afternoon and volunteered for the command of the expedition. Begged for it, in fact. Major Lacy reluctantly but generously yielded to him with my consent." "It was for me he sought it," said the girl, full of reproach for herself. "I had mocked him for his lack of distinction, sir, before he saw you. He hazarded his life for my approval and for the cause of the South." A fuller light broke upon the general's mind. He understood all now, yet he went on pitilessly. "After getting command in this peculiar way he failed to present himself on the wharf at the appointed time. We waited ten minutes for him, as long as we dared, in fact, and then as you know, sent the boat out under Major Lacy." "He was detained," said the girl, faintly. "So he said when I arrested him last night, and he repeated the statement this morning. I pressed him to tell me by whom and where he had been detained, but he refused to tell. I plied him with every argument at my command. I pointed out to him the consequences of his action, his failure to justify himself, that is, showed him clearly the penalty which the court-martial would undoubtedly inflict upon him--" "That is?" "Death, madam! He will probably be shot to-morrow, for his guilt is clear." The girl's head fell forward in her hands. There was a little silence in the room. The general watched her narrowly, but said nothing further. He was waiting, in full confidence that she would speak. He could afford to be patient now. CHAPTER XII THE CULPRIT IS ARRESTED "General Beauregard," she whispered at last, "I am the traitor. He was detained by me."