“No,” I replied, telling the truth in part and a lie in part. “We
captured him, and the men are now taking him back to the army.”
She sighed deeply. Mistress Kate said nothing, though her face was of a
great paleness.
“I will not upbraid you with what I call treachery,” I said, speaking
to them both, “and I will not disturb you again to-night. It is not
necessary.”
I said the last rather grimly, but I observed some of the paleness
depart from Mistress Kate’s countenance and a look strangely like that
of relief come into her eyes. I was sorry, for it seemed to me to
indicate more thought of her own and her mother’s peace than of the
fate of the man whom we had taken. But there was naught to say, and I
left them without the courtesy of a good night on either side.
Whitestone and the men returned presently from their task, and I posted
the guards as before, confident that no traitor could pass while I was
on watch there.
CHAPTER III.
A SHOT FROM THE WINDOW.
Whitestone and I held a small conference in the dark. Though regretting
that the matter had ended in such tragic way, we believed we had done
a great thing, and I am not loath to confess that I expected words of
approval the next day when we would take the news of it to the army. We
agreed that we must not relax our vigilance in the smallest particular,
for where there was one plot there might be a dozen. Whitestone went
down into the valley while I remained near the house.
In my lonely watch I had great space for thought. I was grieved by my
discoveries in regard to Kate Van Auken. Of a truth she was nothing
to me, being betrothed, moreover, to Chudleigh the Englishman; but we
had been children together, and it was not pleasing to believe her a
patriot and find her a traitor. I could get no sort of satisfaction
out of such thoughts, and turning them aside walked about with vigor in
an attempt to keep myself from becoming very sleepy.
The moon was still showing herself, and I could see the house very
well. No light had appeared in it since our last withdrawal, but
looking very closely I saw what appeared to be a dark shadow at one of
the windows. I knew that room to be Mistress Kate’s, and I surmised
that she was there seeking to watch us. I resolved in return that I
would watch her. I stepped back where I would be sheltered by a tree
from her sight, and presently had my reward. The window was opened
gently and a head, which could be none other than that of Kate, was
thrust out a bit.
I could see her quite well, even the features of her face. She was
looking very earnestly into the surrounding night, and of a truth
anxiety was writ plainly on her countenance. She stretched her head out
farther and examined all the space before the house. I was hidden from
her gaze, but down in a corner of the yard she could see the sentinel
pacing back and forth. She inspected him with much earnestness for
some time, and then withdrew her head, closing the window.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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