"What?—But how should you, a woman, know of such a matter?"
"You'll see, when the honours are distributed."
"This is very strange. You are in this officer's confidence, perhaps. He is unwise to trust you so far—you have told me enough to—"
"There's no more need of secrecy. Captain Falconer's men are well on their way to Morristown. Even if you got out of our lines as easily as you got in, you could only meet our troops returning with your general."
Doubtless she conceived that by taunting him, at this safe hour, with this prevision of her success, she helped the estrangement which she felt necessary to her enjoyment of her expected rewards.
"Oho!" quoth he, with a bitter, derisive laugh. "Another attempt to seize Washington! What folly!"
"Not when we are helped by treason in your camp, as I said before. Folly, is it? You'll sing another song to-morrow!"
She smiled with anticipated triumph, and the smile had in it so much of the Madge of other days, that his bitterness forsook him, and admiration and love returned to sharpen his grief.
"Oh, Madge, dear, could I but win you back!" he murmured, wistfully.
"What, in that strain again!" she said, petulant at each revival of the self-reproach his sorrow caused in her.