with lee in virginia-第54节

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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　will　tell

you　about　presently。　　When　did　you　arrive　from　the　front？〃



〃I　came　down　a　few　days　ago　on　a　week's　leave　on　urgent　family

business；〃　the　young　man　laughed；　〃and　I　am　going　back　again　this

afternoon　by　the　four　o'clock　train。〃



〃Stay　till　ten；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and　we　will　go　back　together。　　There

is　a　special　train　going　through　with　ammunition；　and　as

everything　will　make　way　for　that　it　will　not　be　long　behind

the　four　o'clock；　and　likely　enough　may　pass　it　on　the　way。　　There

is　a　horse…box　attached　to　it；　and　as　I　only　take　one　horse　there　will

be　room　for　yours。〃



〃I　haven't　brought　my　horse　down；〃　Harry　Furniss　said；　〃but　I　will

certainly　go　with　you　by　the　ten　o'clock。　Then　we　can　have　a　long

talk。　　I　don't　think　I　have　seen　you　since　the　day　you　asked　me　to

lend　you　my　boat　two　years　ago。〃



〃Can　you　spare　me　two　hours　now？〃　Vincent　asked。　〃You　will　do

me　a　very　great　favor　if　you　will。〃



Harry　Furniss　looked　at　his　watch。　　〃It　is　eleven　o'clock　now；　we

have　a　lot　of　people　to　lunch　at　half…past　one；　and　I　must　be　back

by　then。〃



〃You　can　manage　that　easy　enough；〃　Vincent　replied；　〃in　two

hours　from　the　time　we　leave　here　you　can　be　at　home。〃



〃I　am　your　man；　then；　Vincent。　　Just　wait　five　minutes　　　I　have　to

see　some　one　in　here。〃



A　few　minutes　later　Harry　Furniss　came　out　again　and　mounted。



〃Now　which　way；　Vincent？　and　what　is　it　you　want　me　for？〃



〃The　way　is　to　Jackson's　place　at　the　Cedars；　the　why　I　will　tell　you

about　as　we　ride。〃



Vincent　then　recounted　his　feud　with　the　Jacksons；　of　which；　up　to

the　date　of　the　purchase　of　Dinah　Morris；　his　friend　was　aware；

having　been　present　at　the　sale。　　He　now　heard　of　the　attack　upon

young　Jackson　by　Tony；　and　of　the　disappearance　of　Dinah　Morris。



〃I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised；　Wingfield；　if　your　surmises　are

correct；　and　that　old　scoundrel　has　carried　off　the　girl　to　avenge

himself　upon　Tony。　　Of　course；　if　you　could　prove　it；　it　wo