"'When shall you go?' Mrs. Harrington asked.
"'This very day—I must lose no time.'
"'And when will you be back?'
"'Within the week; I shall make all haste, you may be sure.'
"'But you will stay in Cadiz long enough to rest,' she said anxiously; 'you must not make yourself ill.'
"'Always thoughtful—always kind!' he half whispered. Then he added aloud—'I shall send for Zillah to join me there, and will bring her on; so you see everything arranges itself admirably.'
"James paused suddenly in his impatient march up and down the room, and said more quietly than he had spoken during the whole conversation—'I will go with you, General—I shall be glad of a little change.'
"'My dear friend, few things could be pleasanter to me than to have your society, but you forget that it is quite out of the question here; you would leave your mother and Miss Crawford alone.'
"I could not keep silence a moment longer—if I had died for it, I must have spoken.
"'We have plenty of friends,' I said; 'we should do very well. Mr. Harrington could have a pleasant trip, and leave us quite satisfied that Zillah would not be carried off by bandits on the road.'