Montgomery, she should proceed to Hay Hill, a plantation near the line
of Charles County, owned by Colonel Fairlie, whose young daughter Fanny,
recently made a bride, had been the schoolmate of Edith.

Here, at the fork, the party halted to take leave.

Commodore Waugh called his niece to ride up to the carriage window and
gave her many messages for Colonel Fairlie, for Fanny and for Fanny's
young bridegroom, and many charges to be careful and prudent, and not to
ride out unattended, etc.

And then he called up the two old negroes and charged them to see their
young mistress safely at Hay Hill and then to return to Luckenough and
take care of the house and such things as were felt behind in case the
British should not visit it, and to shut up the house after them in case
they should come and rob it and leave it standing. Two wretched old
negroes would be in little personal danger from the soldiers.

So argued Commodore Waugh as he took leave of them and gave orders for
the carriage to move on up the main branch of the road leading north
toward Prince George's and Montgomery.

But so argued not the poor old negroes, as they followed Edith up the
west branch of the road that led to Charles County.

This pleasant road ran along the side of a purling brook under the
shadow of the great trees that skirted the forest, and Edith ambled
leisurely along, low humming to herself some pretty song or listening
to the merry carols of the birds or noticing the speckled fish that
gamboled through the dark, glimmering stream or reverting to the subject