with lee in virginia-第60章

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Vincent　smiled。



〃Oh；　Vincent；　you　are　not　engaged　to　be　married！　That　would　be

too　ridiculous！〃　　Vincent　laughed　and　nodded。



〃Annie　is　right；　mother；　I　am　engaged　to　be　married。〃　Mrs。

Wingfield　looked　grave；　Rosie　laughed；　and　Annie　threw　her　arms

round　his　neck　and　kissed　him。



〃You　dear；　silly　old　boy：〃　she　said。　　〃I　am　glad；　though　it　seems　so

ridiculous。　　Who　is　she；　and　what　is　she　like？〃



〃We　needn't　ask　where　she　lives；〃　Rosie　said。　　〃Of　course　it　is　in

Antioch；　though　bow　in　the　world　you　managed　it　all　in　the　two　or

three　days　you　were　there　I　can't　make　out。〃



Mrs。　Wingfield's　brow　cleared。　　〃At　any　rate；　in　that　case；　Vincent；

she　is　a　Southerner。　　I　was　afraid　at　first　it　was　some　Yankee

woman　who　had　perhaps　sheltered　you　on　your　way。〃



〃Is　she　older　than　you；　Vincent？　Annie　asked　suddenly。　〃I　shouldn't

like　her　to　be　older　than　you　are。〃



〃She　is　between　sixteen　and　seventeen；〃　Vincent　replied；　〃and　she

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　retu