“Fall in here,” cried the Sergeant, at which the men quickly took their places. “Attention! Stack arms! Two of you take the prisoner. Where shall we find a vacant room, ma’am?”
“Across the hall,” said Mrs. Varney; “where the ladies were sewing this evening.”
“Very good,” said the Sergeant. “Left face! Forward, march!”
Arrelsford and Wilfred followed the soldiers.
“I am the chief witness,” said the former.
“I will see that he gets fair play,” remarked the latter, as they marched out.
“I must go to Howard,” said Mrs. Varney; “this excitement is killing him; I am afraid he will hardly survive the night. Caroline is with him now.”
“Very well, mother,” said Edith, going slowly up the now deserted room and standing in the window, looking out into the night, thinking her strange, appalling thoughts. They would convict him, shoot him, there was no hope. What had he said? He was not ashamed of his work. It was the highest duty and involved the highest and noblest sacrifice, because it made the greatest demand; and they would shoot him like a mad dog.
“Oh, God!” she whispered; “if some bullet would only find my heart as well.”