"I shall never forget the scene, or Lucy's steadfast face as she faced that man; and you see at that time I was a perfect stranger to her-only a fugitive Confederate officer whom she shielded from his pursuers."Go on, Vincent; please go on, Annie said." Tell us what happened next."Vincent continued his narrative to the end, with, however, many interruptions and questions on the part of the girls.His mother said little, but sat holding his hand in hers.
"It has been a wonderful escape, Vincent," she said when he had finished."Bring your Lucy here when you like, and I shall be ready to receive her as my daughter, and to love her for her own sake as well as yours.She must be not only a brave but a noble girl, and you did perfectly right to lose not a single day after you had taken her safely home in asking her to be your wife.I am glad to think that some day the Orangery will have so worthy a mistress..I will write to her at once.You have not yet told us what she is like, Vincent.""I am not good at descriptions, but you shall see her photograph when I get it.""What, haven't you got one now?""She had not one to give me.You see, when the troubles began she was little more than a child, and since that time she has scarcely left home, but she promised to have one taken at once and send it me, and then, if it is a good likeness, you will know all about it.""Mother, when you write to-night," Rosie said, "please send her your photograph and ours, and say we all want one of our new relative that is to be.""I think, my dear, you can leave that until we have exchanged a letter or two.You will see Vincent's copy, and can then wait patiently for your own.""And now, mother, I have told you all of my news; let us hear about every one here.How are all the old house hands, and how is Dinah? Tony is at Washington, I know, because I saw in the paper that he had made a sudden attack upon Jackson."Mrs.Wingfield's face fell.
"That is my one piece of bad news, Vincent.I wish you hadn't asked the question until to-morrow, for I am sorry that anything should disturb the pleasure of this first meeting; still as you have asked the question I must answer it.About ten days ago a negro came, as I afterward heard from Chloe, to the back entrance and asked for Dinah.He said he had a message for her.She went and spoke to him, and then ran back and caught up her child.She said to Chloe, 'I have news of my husband.I think he is here.I will soon be back again.' Then she ran out, and has never returned.
We have made every inquiry we could, but we have not liked to advertise for her, for it may be that she has met her husband, and that he persuaded her to make off at once with him to Yorktown or Fortress Monroe.""This is bad news indeed, mother," Vincent said."No, I do not think for a moment that she has gone off with Tony.There could be no reason why she should have left so suddenly without telling any one, for she knew well enough that you would let her go if she wished it; and I feal sure that neither she nor Tony would act so ungratefully as to leave us in this manner.No, mother, I feel sure that this has been done by Jackson.You know I told you I felt uneasy about her before I went.No doubt the old rascal has seen in some Northern paper an account of his son having been attacked in the streets of Washington, and recaptured by Tony, and he has had Dinah carried off from a pure spirit of revenge.Well, mother," he went on in answer to an appealing look from her, "Iwill not put myself out this first evening of my return, and will say no more about it.There will be plenty of time to take the matter up to-morrow.And now about all our friends and acquaintances.
How are they getting on? Have you heard of any more of my old chums being killed since I was taken prisoner at Antietam?"It was late in the evening before Vincent heard all the news.
Fortunately, the list of casualties in the army of Virginia had been slight since Antietam; but that battle had made many gaps among the circle of their friends, and of these Vincent now heard for the first time, and he learned too, that although no battle had been fought since Antietam, on the 17th of September, there had been a sharp skirmish near Fredericksburg, and that the Federal army, now under General Burnside, who had succeeded McClellan, was facing that of Lee, near that town, and that it was believed that they would attempt to cross the Rappahannock in a few days.
It was not until he retired for the night that Vincent allowed his thoughts to turn again to the missing woman.Her loss annoyed and vexed him much more than he permitted his mother to see.In the first place, the poor girl's eagerness to show her gratitude to him upon all occasions, and her untiring watchfulness and care during his illness from his wound, had touched him, and the thought that she was now probably in the hands of brutal taskmasters was a real pain to him.In the next place, he bad, as it were, given his pledge to Tony that she should be well cared for until she could be sent to join him.And what should he say now when the negro wrote to claim her? Then, too, he felt a personal injury that the woman should be carried cif when under his mother's protection, and he was full of indignation and fury at the dastardly revenge taken by Jackson.Upon hearing the news he had at once mentally determined to devote himself for some time to a search for Dinah;but the news that a great battle was expected at the front interfered with his plan.Now that ho was back, capable of returning to duty, his place was clearly with his regiment; but he determined that while he would rejoin at once, he would as soon as the battle was over, if he were unhurt, take up the search.His mother and sisters were greatly distressed when at breakfast he told them that he must at once report bimself as fit for duty, and ready to join his regiment.
"I was afraid you would think so," Mrs.Wingfield said, while the girls wept silently; "and much as I grieve at losing you again directly you have returned, I can say nothing against it.You have gone through many dangers, Vincent, and have been preserved to us through them all.We will pray that you may be so to the end.
Still, whether or not, I as a Virginian woman cannot grudge my son to the service of my country, when all other mothers are making the same sacrifice; but it is hard to give you up when but yesterday you returned to us."
