Part 6 (1/2)
Thoms, creeping behind his chair to reach for the letters, took a keen survey of the card he held.
It was the face of a young and lovely girl which returned St. Udo's yearning, questioning gaze with a sweet, free smile.
Thoms took the letters, and standing for a moment in the hall, greedily scrutinized the envelopes.
”Andrew Davenport, Esq.,” ”Rufus Gay, M.D.,” and ”Lady Juliana Ducie,”
whispered the spy.
He pa.s.sed into his own room, locked the door, and did not emerge for at least ten minutes; and when he did, he stole out with the letters in his hand, casting startled looks around, as if he fancied he had some cause to fear.
The next morning the two new colonels left New York at the head of their men, and halted not until some three days subsequently they found themselves within one day's march of the grand army.
The way lay through forests of hickory, planer, and tulip trees, between tobacco and cotton plantations, and over deep, yielding mora.s.ses, where the giant gourd sprang up to catch the bending cypress branch, and the wild vine barred the way.
St. Udo, chatting carelessly to his inferior officer, turned suddenly in his saddle to look for Thoms, and met his quailing eyes scarce two yards behind.
His head was bent to catch every word uttered by St. Udo; his eyes gleamed like glow worms in the dusk; he was the picture of a man with some dread watch to keep.
”Back, fellow!” cried St. Udo, sternly. ”What do you want here?”
Thoms fell back with humility.
”Beg pardon, colonel--I was listening to some sounds ahead,” muttered he.
His coolness was manifestly forced--his excuse was manifestly a lie--yet the haughty Englishman only swore at him and turned from him as one avoids the worm in the path.
He resumed his idle conversation with his officer, and pa.s.sed the time away in light jests and piquant anecdotes of a life neither tame nor simple, and quite ignored the inquisitive Thoms behind him.
But Thoms did not forget to strain every faculty of hearing and seeing while he had the chance. Never did lover drink in love vows of his beautiful betrothed, as did the gray-faced valet his colonel's stories; never did the wors.h.i.+pers of that star of song, Jenny Lind, a.n.a.lyse each tone, each delicate inflection of her voice in the day of her most glorious effulgence, as did Thoms the tones of St. Udo Brand; and when the soldier, weary of speech, sank into mute reverie, the old man's glowing eyes stole over his stately figure, measuring its height, its contour, its carriage, with anxious care, as if but one man lived upon the earth for him, and that night he might be slain.
At midnight the little detachment paused to rest.
The place they chose as favorable to their purpose was the wide-spread grounds of a ruined mansion-house.
Merrily the camp-fires blazed up, paling the s.h.i.+mmer of a myriad of soaring fire-flies, and sparkling through the murk like a broken lava stream.
The chevalier left his company to visit his friend's tent, and the brothers-in-arms exchanged cordial jests and friendly converse, while Thoms, hovering over the camp-fires and boiling the coffee, peered inquisitively at the pocket alb.u.m which St. Udo was showing his friend.
”How that old wretch listens to our conversation,” exclaimed St. Udo, laughing, as the valet retreated for a moment beyond earshot, for another armful of f.a.gots. ”He is like Diggory behind his master's chair--every story moves him to laugh or cry.”
”Pardieu! he will play eavesdropper, will he?” hissed the chevalier. ”We shall see.”
”Here he comes, hurrying back to the charmed circle,” said St. Udo, ”with straining ears and a face which looks 'just like a stratagem,' as Madam n.o.blet says. Where did you get the sorry rascal, Calembours?”
”A friend sent him to me on the morning we parted for New York,”
muttered the chevalier. ”Peace--he is here.”
His nervous tremor did not escape the vigilant eye of Thoms, who grimly took his post near the pair, and handed them their viands with obsequious celerity.
St. Udo amused the chevalier by more anecdotes, and presently in their hilarious enjoyment they forgot the haunting demon in the shadow of the tent, till St. Udo, happening to glance that way over his shoulder, stopped short and stared in speechless amazement.
There sat Thoms, leaning against the tent, as St. Udo leaned against the mossy rock by the fire, throwing back his s.h.a.ggy head as St. Udo threw back his, gesticulating with his long, brown hand as St. Udo waved his, his lurid eyes fixed in a hound-like gaze upon St. Udo Brand, aping every motion like a haggard shadow of himself.