“It is all over between us now,” she sobbed; “all over between us forever and ever! And, oh! I did love him! I did love him so dearly! And with all his faults he did love me so truly! And he confided all his plans to me so trustingly. And now I must turn on him and denounce him and expose him to capture and death! or else I must hide his secrets in my bosom and let him go on planning the capture of Washington and the destruction of the Union. Oh, my goodness! was ever a poor girl in such a fix as I am!” added Elfie, as she left the library with the intention of seeking her own room, to prepare for her visit to the President. For in all the ebbs and flows of contending passions Elfie was as true to the country as is a politician to his own interests. “I never can trust myself to tell the story. I should become agitated and talk slang perhaps, and get myself and my information discredited. Take the city by assault! Turn the streets into rivers of blood and the houses into smoking ruins! Capture the President-elect and plant the Confederate flag on the dome of the capitol! Heaven and Earth and the other Place! what a plot!” exclaimed Elfie, as she sat down to her writing desk and began to write a short, condensed account of the plan divulged to her by Albert Goldsborough. When it was finished she put it in a blank envelope, saying to herself: “I will not direct it to any particular individual; for if I do not find one high official dignitary at leisure to see me I must seek another.” Then she put on her outer garments and sat down to wait for the carriage she had ordered. It came at the hour, and she went downstairs and took her place in it. She gave the order to the President’s house and drove thither. Ah! with what a beating heart she got out of the carriage, ascended the broad stairs and presented herself to the porter. It was almost a relief to her to be told that the President could not receive any one that day. “After all, I doubt if it would have been of any use to call on him,” said Elfie to herself, as she returned to the carriage and gave the order: “To the War Department.” Arrived at that building, Elfie once more left her carriage, entered the house and inquired her way to the office of a certain “high official dignitary,” who must be nameless in this story. Elfie was shown into an ante-room, where she found herself in company with about half a dozen other persons of both sexes, who were waiting to see the great man. As she was the last arrival, she had to wait until each of these had been singly received and dismissed. At last her turn also came, and she was ushered into the audience chamber of the “high official.” And with grim satisfaction Elfie noticed how his countenance changed as he read her letter. Presently, with his eyes still following the lines, he put out his hand, and rang the bell that stood upon his table. A messenger answered it.