"Miss Bee," he began gravely, "you must have mistaken Mrs. Haslem. I believe Sir John will reach Newark to-day, and when he sees my name marked for honour, he may consent that I receive pardon for what I did not do; but I know I shall lose all other rewards; I shall doubtless be allowed to fight in the ranks till the end of the war, and afterwards I can find something to do. I know my father will never forgive me, and I will never go back to Dr. Brown with this stain on my name. You should not ride out with me like this." Ned spoke with all the bitterness that had been fermenting in his brain so long, and with his hot hands clenched under the furs. Then a small hand, that was cool and very firm was suddenly laid on them, and its touch calmed Ned strangely--"You know very well that I will be your friend till death," said Bee Goode. Behind them at Newark, Sir John and Vere had arrived, and the baronet sent Vere off to find Bee, while he talked over Ned's case with the Niagara officers. Vere rode off, greatly disturbed to know that Ned had not deserted with Sells, and dropped forever out of his world. He hated him with all his weak, unwholesome nature, and then he saw him, in the sledge with the girl his grandfather had determined he should marry. In a moment he was beside them, shouting with an oath--"I thought your dirty American blood would show some time, you minx! What spy work are you plotting with this deserter?" [Illustration: "Take that! you coward!"] Instantly Bee was on her feet, and with the strength of anger, struck him across the face with her whip--"Take that, you coward," she cried, "and never dare to speak to me again." Then turning her horse she drove home in a storm of jangling bells and flying hoofs. She left Ned at the hospital door, and went to find Chloe waiting with her one silk dress--blue with a white flower pattern. "Missy must dress up fine to-night," said the old nurse. "Mr. Vere is here, the gentleman who is to marry you, honey." Bee thought Chloe was mad for a moment, but when the woman repeated what Betty had told her, she understood the mistake she had made at York. "But I won't dress, I'll stay in my room, and lock the door while that cowardly liar is in the house," she cried. "And to-night we will run away, you and I to my brother." "We can't, honey," said Chloe sympathetically. "There's miles of snow and burnt houses, and soldiers who would stop us, and that almighty wild river that nobody can't get over nohow. Let me dress you, honey, and make you look pretty, then you can go down and ask Mr. Percy to help you--he's here now."