He took one of the candles from the sconces on the wall and lighted the candelabra that stood on the nearest table. Holding the paper near the light, he glanced around rapidly, and then read it, giving no outward evidence of his surprise and alarm, although the girl was now watching him narrowly. He glanced at her and then looked at the paper again, and slowly read aloud its message. “‘_Attack to-night?_’” he said very deliberately. “Umph, ‘_Plan 3? Attack to-night, plan 3!_’ This seems to be in some code, Miss Varney, or a puzzle.” “It was taken from a Yankee prisoner.” “From a Yankee prisoner!” he exclaimed in brilliantly assumed surprise. “Yes, one captured to-day. He is down at Libby now. He gave it to one of our servants, old Jonas, and——” “That’s a little different,” said Thorne, examining the paper again. “It puts another face on the matter. This may be something important. ‘_Attack to-night_,’” he read again, “_‘Plan 3, use telegraph’!_ This sounds important to me, Miss Varney. It looks to me like a plot to use the Department Telegraph lines. To whom did Jonas give it?” “To no one.” “Well, how did you——” “We took it away from him,” answered Edith. This was a very different statement from her original intention, but for the moment the girl forgot her part. “Oh,” said Thorne, “I think that was a mistake.” “A mistake?” “Yes.” “But why?” “You should have let him deliver it, but it is too late now. Never mind.” He turned toward the door. Edith caught him by the arm. Was he going out to certain death or what? “What are you going to do?” she asked breathlessly. “Find Jonas, and make him tell for whom this paper was intended. He is the man we want.” The girl released him, and caught her throat with her hand. “Captain Thorne,” she choked out, and there was joy and triumph in her face, “they have lied about you.” Thorne turned to her quickly. “Lied about me!” he exclaimed. “What do you mean?” He caught the girl’s hands in his and bent over her. “Don’t be angry,” pleaded Edith, “I didn’t think it would be like this.” “Yes, yes, but what do you mean?” Edith sought to draw her hands away from him, but Thorne would not be denied. “I must know,” he said. “Let me go,” pleaded the girl, “don’t you understand——” But what she might have said further was interrupted by the sharp, stern voice of the Corporal outside. He spoke loud and clearly, there was no necessity for precaution now. “This way! Look out for that side, will you?” Thorne released the hands of the woman he loved and stood listening. Edith Varney took advantage of such a diversion to dart through the upper door, the nearer one, into the hall. “I don’t want to be here now,” she said, as she flew away.