"Of course not! But I can't have him go away with the laugh on his side! He made me ridiculous after my trying to stab him with my love for the other man. _Such_ another man! Oh, the rebel must come back!" "But he isn't likely to," said Miss Sally. "Oh, what shall I do?" wailed the niece. "Elizabeth, I'll wager you're still in love with him!" "I'm not! I hate him!--Well, what if I am? He loved me, I'm sure, the last time he said it. But, good heavens, he's going farther away every instant!" She clasped her hands, and, for once, looked at her aunt for help, like a distressed child on the verge of weeping. "Why don't you call him back?" said Miss Sally. "I? Not if I die for want of seeing him!--I know! I _will_ send the servants after him." And she started for the door, but stopped at her aunt's comment: "But that will be as bad as calling him yourself." "Not at all, you empty pate!" cried Elizabeth, who had become, in a moment, all action. "While he's going around by the road, Williams and Sam shall cut across the garden, lie in wait, and take him by surprise. He has no weapon but a broken sword, and they can make him prisoner. They shall bring him back here bound, and he'll think he's to be turned over to the British after all!" "But what then?" "Why, he shall be left alone here, well guarded, for half an hour, and then I'll happen in, give him an opportunity to make love again, and I can yield gracefully! Don't you see?" "Then you _do_ love him?" said the aunt. "I don't know. However, I don't love Jack Colden. Not a word to him, of this! I'm going to give orders to the men." As she entered the hall, she met Colden, who was coming from the dining-room with Mr. Valentine. The major had limited his refreshments to two glasses of brandy and water, swallowed in quick succession. Mr. Valentine, who was smoking his pipe, held Colden fraternally by the arm. "What, Elizabeth, are you still angry?" said Colden, stopping as she passed. "Excuse me, I have something to see to," said the girl, coolly, hurrying away from him. He made a slight movement to follow her, but old Valentine drew him into the parlor, saying: "Come, major, you'll see the lady enough after she's married to you. I was just going to say, the last lot of tobacco I got--" "Oh, damn your tobacco!" said the other, jerking his arm from the old man's tremulous grasp. "Damn my tobacco?" echoed Mr. Valentine, quite stupefied. "Yes. I've matters more important on my mind just now." "The deuce!" cried the old man. "What could be more important than tobacco?" And he stood looking into the fire, muttering to himself between furious puffs. Colden sought comfort of Miss Sally. "Was ever a woman as unreasonable as Elizabeth?" he said to her. "She'd have had me lower myself to meet that rebel vagabond as one gentleman meets another."