"No, I don't think I absolutely hate you, Mr. Lyttleton," she said meditatively, staying her needle in mid air for an instant; "on the contrary I have occasionally found your society not at all disagreeable; but," and the needle again went swiftly in and out, while her eyes were fixed upon her work, "I think if I were in need of a protector from--any great immediate danger--an expected attack by hostile Indians for instance, I should prefer one of my countrymen by my side." "Now, Nell, that was really too bad," remarked Clare, after Lyttleton had gone. "The English are hardly less brave as a nation than ourselves." "Of course, I don't deny that, but he's an exception, and deserving of all and more than I gave him for his mean way of depreciating a--" "An absent rival," put in Clare with a laugh, as Nell paused for an appellation suited to Kenneth's worth. "Really I think you might forgive his evident jealousy, which is certainly flattering to you." "No, not a rival but a far better and nobler man than himself," said the girl, the rose deepening on her cheek. Lyttleton went away full of anger and chagrin, and lay awake half the night trying to contrive some means of convincing Miss Lamar that no more valiant man than himself was anywhere to be found. He summoned his German valet at an unusually early hour the next morning. "Hans," said he, while the man was busied about his person, "you are from Hesse, I think, and were over here during the war?" "Yass, mynheer, that ish so; but I dells it not to dese peobles." "No; of course not; and you need not fear that I shall betray you. But your experience may enable you to be of use to me in a new capacity." "Vat ish dot, mynheer?" "Have patience, Hans, and I will explain all in good time. Were you an officer?" "Nine, nine, mynheer; not so goot as dot; vat you galls a brivateer?" "A private, you blockhead," corrected Lyttleton, with a laugh. "Well, I wish you had been higher, though," he added meditatively. "If I could but get hold of the uniform of a Hessian officer, it would not matter now." "Vell, mynheer, an' you gan keep von leedle segret, I dinks dot gan be found?" "What! here in this little out of the way village?" Hans nodded wisely. "Yaas, I finds him pooty quick." "If you will do so and will make use of it as I direct," said Lyttleton, "you shall be handsomely paid for your trouble. And may rest assured that I will never betray your secret." "Vell den, mynheer, I dell you, and I porrows de gloes, and does de work. Karl Hedwig was in de war, an--vat you call it?" "Officer?" "Yaas, and he's got de soldier gloes." "Now? Here?"