"You young hero!" she cried. "Oh, Hugh, I am so proud of you!"--kissing him again, and laughing at him, with her face glowing, and her big brown eyes full of light. "Where were you wounded? Oh! I was so frightened when I heard about it!" "Where was it? Show it to us, Hugh; please do," exclaimed both boys at once, jumping around him, and pulling at his arm. "Oh, Hugh, is it still very painful?" asked his cousin, her pretty face filled with sudden sympathy. "Oh! no, it was nothing--nothing but a scratch," said Hugh, shaking the boys off, his expression being divided between feigned indifference and sheepishness, at this praise in the presence of his chief. "No such thing, Miss Belle," put in the General, glad of the chance to secure her commendation. "It might have been very serious, and it was a splendid ride he made." "Were you not ashamed of yourself to send him into such danger?" she said, turning on him suddenly. "Why did you not go yourself?" The young man laughed. Her beauty entranced him. He had scars enough to justify him in keeping silence under her pretended reproach. "Well, you see, I couldn't leave the place where I was. I had to send some one, and I knew Hugh would do it. He led the regiment after the colonel and major fell--and he did it splendidly, too." There was a chorus from the young lady and the boys together. "Oh, Hugh, you hear what he says!" exclaimed the former, turning to her cousin. "Oh, I am so glad that he thinks so!" Then, recollecting that she was paying him the highest compliment, she suddenly began to blush, and turned once more to him. "Well, you talk as if you were surprised. Did you expect anything else?" There was a fine scorn in her voice, if it had been real. "Certainly not; you are all too clever at making an attack," he said coolly, looking her in the eyes. "But I have heard even of _your_ running away," he added, with a twinkle in his eyes. "When?" she asked quickly, with a little guilty color deepening in her face as she glanced at the boys. "I never did." "Oh, she did!" exclaimed both boys in a breath, breaking in, now that the conversation was within their range. "You ought to have seen her. She just _flew_!" exclaimed Frank. The girl made a rush at the offender to stop him. "He doesn't know what he is talking about," she said, roguishly, over her shoulder. "Yes, he does," called the other. "She was standing at the foot of the steps when you all came, and--oo--oo--oo--" the rest was lost as his cousin placed her hand close over his mouth. "Here! here! run away! You are too dangerous. They don't know what they are talking about," she said, throwing a glance toward the young officer, who was keenly enjoying her confusion. Her hand slipped from Willy's mouth and he went on. "And when she heard it was you, she just clapped her hands and ran--oo--oo--umm."