"Certainly; they have been engaged from childhood, though God pity the
poor girl if they ever marry. His work in the Jerseys has been almost as
merciless as that of 'Red' Fagin, an' 't is even whispered about they
ride together at times. I doubt if she knows the whole truth about him,
though she can scarcely deem him an angel even at that. Surely you never
supposed her on our side?"

"She helped me," I insisted, "knowing who I was, and even said she wished
my cause well."

"The inconsistency of a woman; perhaps the two had had some
misunderstanding, an' she was glad enough to outwit the fellow."

"No, 't was not that, I am sure; I could read truth in her eyes."

"In Claire's eyes!" he laughed outright. "Oh, I know the innocent blue of
them, and warn you not to trust such blindly. Other men have thought the
same, an' found out they read wrongly when the end came--ay! many of
them. When she was but a slip of a lass I found out her eyes played merry
tricks, an' yet I love her as though she were my own daughter. An' she's
a good girl in spite of all the mischief in her."

"And she is truly a loyalist?"

"If not, I know no better. The rebel blood is all in the boy so far as I
can learn, yet I will not answer for what Mistress Claire might do."

We fell silent, my memory with the girl, endeavoring to recall her exact
words, the expression of her face. It was not in my heart to believe she