Their major, who seemed to know me as an officer, though I did not know him, called out in high good humour:
"Well, my lord Northesk, did you and your rangers arrive in time to close the cage on our pretty bird?"
"Yes, sir," said I, reddening, and not pleased.
"Lady Johnson is here then?"
"Yes, Major."
At that instant the front door opened and Lady Johnson came out quickly and stood on the veranda, the sun striking across her pallid face, which paleness was more due to her condition than to any fear of our soldiery.
She was but partly robed, and that hastily; her hair all unpowdered and undressed, and only a levete of China silk flung about her girlish figure, and making still more evident her delicate physical condition.
But in her eyes I saw storms a-brewing, and her lips and features went white as she stood there, clenching and unclenching one hand, and still a little blinded by the sun in her face.
We all had uncovered before her, bowing very low; and, if she noticed me at first, I am not certain, but she gave our Major such a deadly stare that it checked his speech and put him clean out o' countenance, leaving him a-twiddling his sword-knot and dumb as a fish.
"What does this mean?" said she, her lip trembling with increasing passion. "Have you come here to arrest me?"