"They believe that if you take it you'll keep it, and they say that the moment you take it you may go free, here or anywhere--to Mobile if you wish." Again Anna flinched: "Mobile!" she murmured, and then lifting her eyes to Greenleaf's, repeated, "No! No, not for my life. Better Ship Island." Greenleaf reddened. "Anna," put in the Doctor, but she lifted a hand:-- "They've never offered it to you, Doctor? H-oh! They'd as soon think of asking one of our generals. They'd _almost_ as soon"--the corners of her lips hinted a smile--"ask Hilary Kincaid." "I've never advised any one against it, Anna." "Well, I do!--every God-fearing Southern man and woman. A woman is all I am and I may be short-sighted, narrow, and foolish, but--Oh, Colonel Greenleaf, you shouldn't have let Doctor Sevier take this burden for you. It's hard enough--" The Doctor intervened: "Anna, dear, this old friend of yours"--laying a finger on Greenleaf--"is in a tight place. Both you and Hilary--" "Yes, I know, and I know it's not fair to him. Lieutenant--Colonel, I mean, pardon me!--you sha'n't be under odium for my sake or his. As far as I stand accused I must stand alone. The one who must go free is that mere child Victorine, on her pass, to-day, this morning. When I hear the parting gun of that boat down yonder I want to know by it that Victorine is safely on her way to Mobile, as she would be had she not been my messenger yesterday." "She carried nothing but a message?" "Nothing but a piece of writing--mine! Colonel, I tell you faithfully, whatever Major Kincaid broke prison with was not brought here yesterday by any one and was never in Victorine's hands." "Nor in yours, either?" kindly asked Greenleaf. Anna caught her breath and went redder than ever. Doctor Sevier stirred to speak, but Anna's maid gave her a soft thrust, pointed behind the screen, and covered a bashful smile with her apron. Anna's blush became one of mirth. Her eyes went now to the Doctor and again to the broken wall. "Israel!" she laughed, "why do you enter--?" "On'y fitten' way, missie. House so full o' comin' and goin', and me havin' dis cullud man wid me." Out on the basement ladder, at the ragged gap of Israel's "on'y fittin' way," was visible, to prove his word, another man's head, white-turbaned like his own, and two dark limy hands passing in a pail of mortar. Welcome distraction. True, Greenleaf's luckless question still stood unanswered, but just then an orderly summoned him to the busy generals and spoke aside to Doctor Sevier. "Miss Valcour," explained the Doctor to Anna. "Oh, Doctor," she pleaded, "I want to see her! Beg them, won't you, to let her in?" LXIV "NOW, MR. BRICK-MASON,--"