Part 43 (2/2)
Looking at the clock she seated herself, picked up the pen, and then halted, holding her hand out and noting the trembling of it.
”Oh, you fool! You _woman_!” she said, through her closed teeth.
She commenced one letter, blotted it in her nervous impatience, turned it aside and commenced another, when Captain Monroe appeared at the window with a gla.s.s of wine in his hand.
”Why this desertion from the ranks?” he asked, jestingly, yet with purpose back of the jest. She recognized, but ignored it.
”That you might be detailed for special duty, perhaps, Captain Jack,”
she replied, without looking around.
”I have to look up stragglers,” and he crossed to the desk where she sat. ”I even brought you a forgotten portion of your lunch.”
She looked up at that, saw the gla.s.s, and shook her head; ”No, no wine for me.”
”But it would be almost treasonable to refuse this,” he insisted. ”In the first place it is native Carolina wine we are asked to take; and in the second, it is a toast our bear of the swamps--Mr. Loring--has proposed, 'our President.' I evaded my share by being cup-bearer to you.” He offered the gla.s.s and looked at her, meaningly, ”Will you drink?”
”Only when you drink with me,” she said, and smiled at the grim look touching his face for an instant.
”To the President of the Southern Confederacy?” he asked.
”No!--to _our_ President!”
She took the gla.s.s, touched the wine to her lips, and offered the remainder to him, just as Colonel McVeigh entered from the lawn. He heard Captain Monroe say, ”With all my heart!” as he emptied the gla.s.s. The scene had such a sentimental tinge that he felt a swift flash of jealousy, and realized that Monroe was a decidedly attractive fellow in his own cool, masterful way.
”Ah! a tryst at mid-day?” he remarked, with a.s.sumed lightness.
”No; only a parley with the enemy,” she said, and he pa.s.sed out into the hall, picking up his hat from the table, where he had tossed it when he entered in the morning.
Monroe walked up to the window and back again. She heard him stop beside her, but did not look up.
”I have almost decided to take your advice, and remain only one night instead of two,” he said, at last. ”I can't approve what you are doing here. I can't help you, and I can't stay by and be witness to the enchantment which, for some reason, you are weaving around McVeigh.”
”Enchantment?”
”Well, I can't find a better word just now. I can't warn him; so I will leave in the morning.”
”I really think it would be better,” she said, looking up at him frankly. ”Of all the American men I have met I value your friends.h.i.+p most; yes, it is quite true!” as he uttered a slight exclamation.
”But there are times when even our good angels hamper us, and just now I am better, much better, alone.”
”If I could help you--”
”You could not,” she said hastily. ”Even without the barrier of the parole, you could not. But I cannot talk. I am nervous, not myself today. You saw how clumsy I was when I brought the letter to show?--and after all did not get to show it. Well, I have been like that all day. I have grown fearful of everything--distrustful of every glance. Did you observe the watchfulness of Miss Loring on the lawn?
Still, what does it matter?”
She leaned her head on her hands for a few moments. He stood and looked at her somberly, not speaking. When she turned towards him again it was to ask in a very different tone if he would touch the bell--it was time for Pluto to start with the mail. When he entered she found that a necessary address book had been left in her own apartments.
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