"Why, how you must have despised me! Forgotten?"--her eyes filled
instantly with tears. "Not for an hour, Captain Wayne, but Frank--" she
bit her lip impatiently--"I was told, that is, I was led to believe
that you were--had been sent North as a prisoner of war late last
night. Otherwise I should have insisted upon seeing you--on pleading
your cause with the General himself. The Major and I breakfasted with
him this morning, but your name was not mentioned, for I believed you
safe."

She did not appear to realize, so deep was her present indignation and
regret, that my hand had found a resting-place upon her own.

"You must believe me, Captain Wayne; I could not bear to have you feel
that I could prove such an ingrate."

"You need never suppose I should think that," I replied, with an
earnestness of manner that caused her to glance at me in surprise. "I
confidently expected to hear from you all day, and finally when no word
came I became convinced some such misconception as you have mentioned
must have occurred. Then it became my turn to act upon my own behalf if
I would preserve my life; yet never for one moment have I doubted you
or the sincerity of your pledge to me."

She drew her hand away from my clasp, gently and not unkindly, then
passed it through the masses of her dark, shining hair, but her face
remained turned aside from me. Oh, how I longed at that moment to pour
forth in fervent words the affection that burned within my heart! But
irrespective of the doubt as to her being free to listen to such a
declaration, there was a pride about her manner, a certain restraint
which she ever seemed to exercise over me, that effectually sealed my