Mr. Arrelsford lowered his voice still further and assumed an air of great importance. “We don’t merely suspect him; we know what he has done.” “And what has he done, sir?” “He has been down to Libby Prison under pretence of selling things to the Yankees we’ve got in there, and he now has on his person a written communication from one of them which he intends to deliver to some Yankee spy or agent, here in Richmond.” Mrs. Varney gasped in astonishment at this tremendous charge, which was made in Arrelsford’s most impressive manner. “I don’t believe it,” she said at last. “He has been in the family for years; he wouldn’t dare.” Arrelsford shook his head. “I am afraid it is true,” he said. “Very well,” said Mrs. Varney decidedly, apparently not at all convinced. “I will send for the man. Let us see——” She reached out her hand to the bell-rope hanging from the wall, but Mr Arrelsford caught her arm, evidently to her great repugnance. “No, no!” he said quickly, “not yet. We have got to get that paper, and if he’s alarmed he will destroy it, and we must have it. It will give us the clue to one of their cursed plots. They have been right close on this town for months, trying to break down our defences and get in on us. This is some rascally game they are at to weaken us from the inside. Two weeks ago we got word from our secret agents that we keep over there in the Yankee lines, telling us that two brothers, Lewis and Henry Dumont——” “The Dumonts of West Virginia?” interrupted Mrs. Varney, who was now keenly attentive to all that was said. “The very same.” “Why, their father is a General in the Yankee Army.” “Yes; and they are in the Federal Secret Service, and they are the boldest, most desperately determined men in the whole Yankee Army. They’ve already done us more harm than an army corps.” “Yes?” “They have volunteered to do some desperate piece of work here in Richmond, we have learned. We have close descriptions of both these men, but we have never been able to get our hands on either of them until last night.” “Have you captured them?” “We’ve got one of them, and it won’t take long to get the other,” said Arrelsford, in a fierce, truculent whisper. “The one you caught, was he here in Richmond?” asked Mrs. Varney, greatly affected by the other’s overwhelming emotion. “No, he was brought in last night with a lot of men we captured in a little sortie.” “Taken prisoner?” “Yes, but without resistance.” “I don’t understand.” “He let himself be taken. That’s one of their tricks for getting into our lines when they want to bring a message or give some signal.” “You mean that they deliberately allow themselves to be taken to Libby Prison?” “Yes, damn them!” said Arrelsford harshly. “I beg your pardon, ma’am, but——” Mrs. Varney waved her hand as if Mr. Arrelsford’s oaths, like his presence, were nothing to her.