He was becoming very uneasy under this rigid catechizing, and hoped she would not ask any more questions about Lilian Ashford. He had mentioned her name with the hope that it might produce a coldness on her part which would afford him some advantage. She did not, however, seem to be annihilated by the prospect of a rival, and was proceeding to interrogate him still further in regard to the lady, with whom he was apparently intimate enough to present her his photograph, when Mr. Raynes reminded her that they were standing in the road, and had better go into the house. "Now, Mr. Raynes, as I have seen Sue, and Sue has seen me, I think I had better hasten to my regiment," suggested Somers. "Not yet, Allan," replied the old man. "Do you wish to run away, and leave me so soon, you monster?" added Sue. "I tell you, sir, I shall not let you go yet." "But, Sue! you forget that I have just returned from the Yankees. I was furnished with a pass, to enable me to find my regiment." "You shall find it in good time." "Come to the house, Allan: we will not detain you long," added Mr. Raynes. "You must and shall come!" protested Sue, taking him by the arm, and absolutely compelling him to go, or be guilty of the most unpardonable rudeness to the fair Virginia damsel. "I should be very glad to go with you, Sue, if my duty did not call me elsewhere. I am to be sent off on very important service." "Again?--so soon?" "This very day. I may never see you again." "And you would coolly run away and leave me without even going into the house!" "But my duty, Sue!" "You will be in time for your duty." "I may be arrested as a deserter." "Nonsense! You have a pass in your pocket." "In spite of the pass, if your father had not happened to see me, I should have been arrested, and might have spent a day or two in the guardhouse before the case could have been explained." "No more argument, Allan," said the persevering girl. "Here is the house; you shall go in and look at mother, if you don't stop but a minute. Besides, I want to see your photograph while you are present; for I am sure you don't look any more like the picture than the picture does like you." "Probably not," replied Somers, as the resolute maiden dragged him into the house; where, without stopping to breathe, she presented him to her mother, with the astounding declaration, that he was Allan Garland. Mrs. Raynes gave him a cordial Virginia welcome; and, while he was endeavoring to make himself as agreeable as possible to the old lady, Sue rushed up-stairs to procure the faithless photograph. She returned in a moment with the picture in her hand, and proceeded at once to institute a comparison between the shadow and the substance. "Now, stand up here, sir, and let me see," said she, as she playfully whisked him round and scrutinized his features. "I told you it did not look like you; and I am very sure now that it does not." "Let me see," added Somers, extending his hand for the picture.