with lee in virginia-第53节

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such　as　she　had　never　before　felt　bad　seized　her；　and　it　was　with

flushed　cheeks　and　timid　steps　that　she　at　last　came　downstairs；

and　it　needed　an　encouraging…〃　Go　in；　you　silly　child；　your　lover

will　not　eat　you；〃　before　she　turned　the　handle　and　went　into　the

room　where　Vincent　was　expecting　her。



Vincent　had　telegraphed　from　the　first　station　at　which　he　arrived

within　the　limits　of　the　Confederacy　to　his　mother；　announcing　his

safe　arrival　there；　and　asking　her　to　send　money　to　him　at　Antioch。　

Her　letter　in　reply　reached　him　three　days　after　his　arrival。　　It

contained　notes　for　the　amount　he　wrote　for；　and　while　expressing

her　own　and　his　sisters'　delight　at　hearing　he　had　safely　reached　the

limits　of　the　Confederacy；　she　expressed　not　a　little　surprise　at　the

out…of…the…way　place　to　which　he　had　requested　the　money　to　be

sent。



〃We　have　been　examining　the　maps；　my　dear　boy；〃　she　said；　〃and

find　that　it　is　seventy　or　eighty　miles　out　of　your　direct　course；　and

we　have　puzzled　ourselves　in　vain　as　to　why　you　should　have　made

your　way　there。　　The　girls　guess　that　you　have　gone　there　to　deliver

in　person　some　message　from　one　of　your　late　fellow…prisoners　to

his　family。　　I　am　not　good　at　guessing；　and　am　content　to　wait　until

you　return　home。　　We　hope　that　you　will　leave　as　soon　as　you　get

the　remittance。　　We　shall　count　the　hours　until　we　see　you。　　Of

course　we　learned　from　a　Yankee　paper　smuggled　through　the

lines　that　you　had　escaped　from　prison；　and　have　been　terribly

anxious　about　you　ever　since。　　We　are　longing　to　hear　your

adventures。〃



A　few　hours　after　the　receipt　of　this　letter　Vincent　was　on　his　way

home。　　It　was　a　long　journey。　　The　distance　was　considerable；　and

the　train　service　greatly　disordered　and　unpunctual。　　When　within　a

few　hours　of　Richmond　he　telegraphed；　giving　the　approximate

time　at　which　he　might　be　expected　to　arrive。　　The　train；　however；

did　not　reach　Richmond　until　some　hours　later。　　The　carriage　was

waiting　at　the　station；　and　the　negro　coachman　shouted　with

pleasure　at　the　sight　of　his　young　master。



〃Missis　and　the　young　ladies　come；　sah；　but　de　station…master　he

say　do　train　no　arrive　for　a　long　time；　so　dey　wait　for　you　at　de

town　house；　sah。〃



Dan　jumped　up　beside　the　coachman　and　Vincent　leaped　into　the

carriage；　and　a　few　minutes　later　he　was　locked　in　the　arms　of　his

mother　and　sisters。



〃You　grow　bigger　and　bigger；　Vincent；〃　his　mother　said　after　the

first　greeting　was　over。　　〃I　　thought　you　must　have　done　when　you

went　away　last；　but　you　are　two　or　three　inches　taller　and　ever　so

much　wider。〃



〃I　think　I　have　nearly　done　now；　mother…anyhow　as　to　height。　　I　am

about　six　feet　one。〃



〃You　are　a　dreadful　trouble　to　us；　Vincent；〃　Annie　said。　　〃We　have

awful　anxiety　whenever　we　hear　of　a　battle　being　fought；　and　it

was　almost　a　relief　to　us　when　we　heard　that　you　were　in　a　Yankee

prison。　　We　thought　at　least　you　were　out　of　danger　for　some　time；

but　since　the　news　came　of　your　escape　it　has　been　worse　than

ever；　and　as　week　passed　after　week　without　our　hearing　any'　thing

of　you　we　began　to　fear　that　something　terrible　had　happened　to

you。〃



〃Nothing　terrible　has　happened　at　all；　Annie。　　The　only　mishap　I

had　was　getting　a　pistol　bullet　in　my　shoulder　which　laid　me　up　for

about　six　weeks。　　There　was　nothing　very　dreadful　about　it；〃　he

continued；　as　exclamations　of　alarm　and　pity　broke　from　his

mother　and　sister。　　〃I　was　well　looked　after　and　nursed。　　And　now　I

will　tell　you　my　most　important　piece　of　news；　and　then　I　will　give

you　a　full　account　of　my　adventures　from　the　time　when　Dan　got

me　out　of　prison；　for　it　is　entirely　to　him　that　I　owe　my　liberty。〃



〃Well；　what　is　the　piece　of　news？〃　Annie　asked。



〃Guess！〃　Vincent　replied　smiling。



〃You　have　got　promoted？〃　his　mother　said。　　He　shook　his　head。



〃Is　it　about　a　lady？〃　Annie　asked。



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　o