"A miser? Anything but that! Only prudent,--military men often are
so."

"I was a miser," repeated the Captain, with emphasis. "I began the
habit first when my son was but a child. I thought him high-spirited,
and with a taste for extravagance. 'Well,' said I to myself, 'I will
save for him; boys will be boys.' Then, afterwards, when he was no more
a child (at least he began to have the vices of a man), I said to
myself, 'Patience! he may reform still; if not, I will save money, that
I may have power over his self-interest, since I have none over his
heart. I will bribe him into honor!' And then--and then--God saw that
I was very proud, and I was punished. Tell them to drive faster,--
faster; why, this is a snail's pace!"

All that night, all the next day, till towards the evening, we pursued
our journey, without pause or other food than a crust of bread and a
glass of wine. But we now picked up the ground we had lost, and gained
upon the carriage. The night had closed in when we arrived at the stage
at which the route to Lord N--'s branched from the direct north road.
And here, making our usual inquiry, my worst suspicions were confirmed.
The carriage we pursued had changed horses an hour before, but had not
taken the way to Lord N--'s, continuing the direct road into Scotland.
The people of the inn had not seen the lady in the carriage, for it was
already dark; but the man-servant (whose livery they described) had
ordered the horses.

The last hope that, in spite of appearances, no treachery had been
designed, here vanished. The Captain at first seemed more dismayed than
myself, but he recovered more quickly. "We will continue the journey on
horseback," he said; and hurried to the stables. All objections