“Yes; don’t sit there like a silly, but come at once. That Yankee beast has ordered that all of the registered enemies of the United States shall leave the city. And we must go.”
“Are you really going to take me home?” asked the girl now thoroughly awake. “Oh, if you will, I will forgive everything!”
“Then get ready quickly,” said Madame, a cruel light in her eyes which the girl unfortunately did not see. “We must go at once. The ‘Beast’ will only permit us to take what we can carry with us. The rest of the property must go to enrich him and his brother. Oh, they are a nice pair, but ma foi! what can one expect of Yankees?”
Jeanne made no reply, but followed her to her own room where Snowball was waiting to dress her.
“Mus’ you go, lill’ missy?” whispered the girl as Madame left them for the moment alone. “I’se ’feerd foh yer ter go.”
“Are you going too, Snowball?”
“Missus say I is, an’, ob couhse, I long ter huh I’se got ter ef she say so. But I done want ter.”
An hour later Mr. and Madame Vance, Jeanne, Feliciane, Snowball and Jeff left the city in company with a number of others. General Butler, wearied with the intrigues of these avowed enemies of the government, had ordered that they should leave his lines for the Confederacy, and imposed the condition that they should not return.
In all the throng that waited to see the Confederates depart Jeanne saw no sign of the General. There were plenty of aids and members of his staff who looked closely after the articles carried away by the departing people, but of the General himself she saw nothing. And so the girl was allowed to depart with the refugees without a word from the Unionists. Blinded by her desire to get home, she left freedom and the protection of the flag and went without question into the heart of Secessia.