"The Captain said this afternoon that the next time your honor left the fort you should never return to it. I thought it was my duty, your honor, to tell you, for I couldn't make out what he meant." "Oh! he did, did he?" muttered Ronayne, with sudden calm. "Well, be it so!" "Corporal Collins," said Mrs. Headley sternly to him, as she arose from her kneeling posture, "you would have done better to have held your peace on a matter which you say you do not comprehend. Mr. Ronayne has annoyance sufficient without your misinterpreting to him an observation of his commanding officer, which, in all probability, was made in any other spirit than that which your words would convey." The corporal made a respectful obeisance and withdrew into the corridor, rebuked. "Ronayne," pursued Mrs. Headley, "I can make all allowance for your excited feelings. I will speak to Headley on the matter; and, although I cannot hold out to you any hope that he either will even acknowledge the necessity, much less take the action you desire, I feel perfectly assured that, when you have heard his reasons, you will agree with us both that it would neither be of avail nor politic to take a step of this kind for the recovery of her whom we all deplore--God knows, no one more bitterly than myself." "Mrs. Headley, you surprise me; I can scarcely believe that I understand you rightly. I had always thought your feelings towards Maria were those of a mother for her child?" "Even so, Ronayne. You judged them rightly. As a mother I have loved, and love her still; but we will talk of all this to-morrow morning, and I leave you now to the quiet, if rest is not to be hoped for, that you so much require; for Headley needs all his officers in important council to-morrow, prior to holding a second immediately after with our Indian allies. Nay," seeing that all present looked surprised, and a desire to know wherefore, "it were idle to enter upon the subject now; sufficient be it to know that it is one of the deepest importance, and that, even should you be carried there in a litter, Ronayne--but God forbid the necessity!--you must be present." "At what hour does that council assemble, Mrs. Headley?" asked the ensign. "At midday, I believe. Winnebeg has been desired to bring the chiefs to the glacis, between the flagstaff and the southern block-house, at two o'clock precisely." "What! Winnebeg returned?" exclaimed Ronayne, as he impetuously rose in his bed. "Ah, then there is hope. He will aid me in my enterprise. And what of Wau-nan-gee? Is he, too, here, Mrs. Headley? Yes, he must be. Oh, this is indeed providential! I shall rise with the dawn, and seek them both. Everything can be accomplished, if at all, before the hour of our own council arrives." Mrs. Headley cast a look of profound sadness on him, as, taking his hot hand in hers, she said--