To his unbounded astonishment, that letter revealed to him that his late guest and promised son-in-law was pledged to the support of the Southern Confederacy and had gone away to enter upon his new service. “Heaven have mercy on my poor child!” was the first thought of the father. Erminie came down to breakfast as pale as death and almost as still. “I see that you know all, my dearest child,” said the old man as soon as he saw her. “Oh, my father, pray for him—pray that he may be led back to us!” “I will, my Minie!—I will, my angel child! God bless you!” said the doctor. Erminie seated herself at the head of the table, and went through the duties of the breakfast service quietly; and after breakfast she went about her household affairs as usual. Later in the day Elfrida communicated to Dr. Rosenthal Albert Goldsborough’s visit and revelation to herself, and also her own visit to the War Department and its results. “And, ha! that was what hurried Eastworth away. But for Erminie’s sake I will not call him ill names, however well he may deserve them. Heavens! to think I should have been so blind!” said the old man, whose astonishment at the conduct of his late guest increased with every hour of thought upon the subject. In the course of that day a rumor spread through the city which created a great excitement. It was to the effect that the War Department had received certain information of a large and well organized plot to seize the capital and prevent the inauguration of the President-elect. And everywhere citizens were enrolling themselves in military companies for the defence of Washington; and among the first names that went down upon that immortal roll was the name of Ernest Rosenthal. CHAPTER XXIV. ON THE DESERT ISLAND. While the stormclouds of civil war, charged with destruction, lowered darkly over our dear native land, all was benign repose on the Desert Island where our young pair had been cast away. The wreck of their ship still lay high and dry upon the rocks where she had struck. So fast was her position, with her keel impaled upon the sharp hornlike points of the rocks, that neither winds nor waves had as yet power to break her up or lift her off. It seemed as if she must remain there until she should gradually perish and go to pieces by the drying and warping of her timbers in the blazing sunshine. This state of affairs continued for many months.