with lee in virginia-第44章

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is　a　Southern　girl；　mother；　and　I　am　sure　you　will　love　her；　for　she

saved　my　life　at　the　risk　of　her　own；　besides　nursing　me　all　the

time　I　was　ill。〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　I　shall　love　her；　Vincent；　for　I　think；　my　boy；　that

you　would　not　make　a　rash　choice。　　I　think　you　are　young；　much

too　young；　to　be　engaged；　still；　that　is　a　secondary　matter。　　Now

tell　us　all　about　it。　　We　expected　your　story　to　be　exciting；　but　did

not　dream　that　love…making　had　any　share　in　it。〃



Vincent　accordingly　told　them　the　whole　story　of　his　adventures

from　the　time　of　his　first　meeting　Dan　in　prison。　　When　he　related

the　episode　of　Lucy's　refusal　to　say　whether　he　would　return；

although　threatened　with　instant　death　unless　she　did　so；　his

narrative　was　broken　by　the　exclamations　of　his　hearers。



〃You　need　not　say　another　word　in　praise　of　her；〃　his　mother　said。　

〃She　is　indeed　a　noble　girl；　and　I　shall　be　proud　of　such　a

daughter。〃



〃She　must　be　a　darling！〃　Annie　exclaimed。　　〃Oh；　Vincent；　how

brave　she　must　be！　　I　don't　think　I　ever　could　have　done　that；　with　a

pistol　pointing　straight　at　you；　and　all　those　dreadful　men　round；

and　no　hope　of　a　rescue；　it's　awful　even　to　think　of。〃



〃It　was　an　awful　moment；　as　you　may　imagine；〃　Vincent　replied。　

〃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；　〃I

will　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。〃



CHAPTER　XV。　FREDERICKSBURG。



　As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　Vincent　mounted　Wi1dfire…　which

had　been　sent　back　after　he　had　been　taken　prisoner；　and　rode　into

Richmond。　　There　he　reported　himself　at　headquarters　as　having

returned　after　escaping　from　a　Federal　prison；　and　making　his　way

through　the　lines　of　the　enemy。



〃I　had　my　shoulder…bone　smashed　in　a　fight　with　some　Yankees；〃

he　said；　〃and　was　laid　up　in　hiding　for　six　weeks；　but　have　now

fairly　recovered。　　My　shoulder；　at　times；　gives　me　considerable

pain；　and　although　I　am　desirous　of　returning　to　duty　and　rejoining

my　regiment　until　the　battle　at　Fredericksburg　has　taken　place；　I

must　request　that　three　months'　leave　be　granted　to　me　after　that　to

return　home　and　complete　my　cure；　promising　of　course　to　rejoin

my　regiment　at　once　should　hostilities　break　out　before　the

spring。〃



〃We　saw　the　news　that　you　had　escaped；〃　the　general　said；　〃but

feared；　as　so　long　a　time　elapsed　without　hearing　from　you；　that

you　had　been　shot　in　attempting　to　cross　the　lines。　　Your　request

for　leave　is　of　course　granted；　and　a　note　will　be　made　of　your　zeal

in　thus　rejoining　on　the　very　day　after　your　return。　　The　vacancy　in

the　regiment　has　been　filled　up；　but　I　will　appoint　you　temporarily

to　General　Stuart's　staff；　and　I　shall　have　great　pleasure　in　to…day

filling　up　your　commission　as　captain。　　Now　let　me　hear　how　you

made　your　escape。　　By　the　accounts　published　in　the　Northern

papers　it　seemed　that　you　must　have　had　a　confederate　outside　the

walls。〃



Vincent　gave　a　full　account　of　his　escape　from　prison　and　a　brief

sketch　of　his　subsequent　proceedings；　saying　only　that　he　was　in

the　house　of　some　loyal　people　in　Tennessee；　when　it　was　attacked

by　a　party　of　Yankee　bushwhackers；　that　these　were　beaten　off　in

the　fight；　but　that　he　himself　had　a　pistol　bullet　in　his　shoulder。　　He

then　made　his　way　on　until　compelled　by　his　wound　to　lay　up　for

six　weeks　in　a　lonely　farmhouse　near　Mount　Pleasant；　that

afterward　in　the　disguise　of　a　young　farmer　he　had　made　a　long

detour　across　the　Tennessee　river　and　reached　Georgia。



〃When　do　you　leave　for　the　front；　Captain　Wingfield？〃



〃I　shall　be　ready　to　start　to…night；　sir。〃



〃In　that　case　I　will　trouble　you　to　come　round　here　this　evening。　

There　will　be　a　fast　train　going　through　with　ammunition　for　Lee

at　ten　o'clock；　and　I　shall　have　a　bag　of　despatches　for　him；　which　I

will　trouble　you　to　deliver。　You　will　find　me　here　up　to　the　last

moment。　　I　will　give　orders　that　a　horse…box　be　put　on　to　the　train。〃



After　expressing　his　thanks　Vincent　took　his　leave。　　As　he　left　the

general's　quarters；　a　young　man；　just　alighting　from　his　horse；　gave

a　shout　of　greeting。



〃Why；　Wingfield；　it　is　good　to　see　you！　　I　thought　you　were　pining

again　in　a　Yankee　dungeon；　or　had　got　knocked　on　the　head

crossing　the　lines。　　Where　have　you　sprung　from；　and　when　did

you　arrive？〃



〃I　only　got　in　yesterday　after　sundry　adventures　which　I　w