"Oh, of course he's all right!" said the general. "Kelly's letter is perfectly _bona fide_, and so I make no doubt are McNeill's passport and paper of instructions. I gave the letter back or I'd show you the signatures. It's only that I got to thinking, awhile ago, after he'd gone." He took a turn across the roses upon the carpet. "A man that's been in politics knows there are so many dodges. Our spies say that General Jackson is very acute. I got to thinking--" He came back to the red-covered table. "Did you talk of the military situation coming along?" "Very little, sir." "He wasn't inquisitive? Didn't criticise, or draw you on to talk--didn't ask about my troops and my movements?" "He did not, sir." The general sighed. "It's all right, of course. You see, he seemed an intelligent man, and we got to talking. I wrote my answer to General Kelly. He has it now, is to start to Romney with it at dawn. Then I asked some questions, and we got to talking. It's all straight, of course, but on looking back I find that I said some things. He seemed an intelligent man, and in his general's confidence. Well, I dismissed him at last, and he saluted and went off to get some rest before starting. And then, somehow, I got to thinking. I have never been South, and all these places are only names to me, but--" He unrolled upon the table a map of large dimensions. "Look here a moment, captain! This is a map the department furnishes us. It's black, you see, for the utterly disloyal sections, shaded for the doubtful, and white where there are Unionists. All Virginia's black except this northwest section, and that's largely shaded." "What," asked Marchmont, "is this long black patch in the midst of the shading?" "That's the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac--see, it's marked! Now, this man's from that locality." "H--m! Dark as Erebus, apparently, along the South Branch!" "Just so." General Banks paced again the roses. "Pshaw! It's all right. I never saw a straighter looking fellow. I just thought I would ask you the nature of his talk along the road--" "It was hardly of military matters, sir. But if you wish to detain him--" "General Kelly must have my letter. I'm not to move, and it's important that he should know it." "Why not question him again?" The general came back to the big chair beside the table. "I have no doubt he's as honest as I am." He looked at the clock. "After midnight!--and I've been reviewing troops all day. Do you think it's worth while, captain?" "In war very little things are worth while, sir." "But you were with him all afternoon, and he seemed perfectly all right--" "Yes, sir, I liked him very well." He pulled at his long yellow moustache. "There was only one little circumstance.... If you are doubtful, sir--The papers, of course, might be forged."