“I have no wish to be offensive, but I will put the matter in another form, and if you fail to take my meaning, you must yourself take the consequences. It has been said,” Gervase went on calmly, “that there are certain persons in the city, even gentlemen of rank, who are in correspondence with the enemy. Rumour is ever full of exaggeration, but the name of one at least is known,” here he paused, “and others may be suspected. Perhaps you had not heard of this. But remember, sir, we will not quarrel, for I make no charge against you. And again I tell you that they who are not on duty should not walk of nights.”
“We cannot quarrel here, or by heaven! I would even kill you where you stand.”
“Neither here nor elsewhere,” Gervase answered imperturbably. “I have given you a friend´s advice, with all a friend´s sincerity, and wish you well. Your prudence will direct you in your future conduct.”
Gervase left him as he was about to speak and re-entered the house, where he shortly after took his leave and returned to his duty at the outposts.
CHAPTER XII.
OF A WARM MORNING´S WORK.
The next morning Gervase was lying longer abed than usual, having had a double share of duty the night before, when he was awakened by the sound of Mistress Sproule´s voice raised high in expostulation and anger. Of late she had lost much of her alacrity and it was only on great occasions and against those to whom her antipathy was strong, that the old fighting spirit manifested itself.
“The poor lad shall not be awakened, I tell you. He does the work of three, and you can see that he is even wearing himself to death, if you can see anything. When he first came to live in my house he had a cheek like a rose, and now he goes about like an old man as crossgrained as yourself. This blessed morning he will have his rest, if Elizabeth Sproule can keep you out.”
Then Gervase heard the low tones of a man´s voice endeavouring to reason with her. But the honest woman was not to be driven from her position. “Not for all the colonels or governors who ever wore sword or sash. He has neither wife nor mother to look after his welfare, and though he is a gentleman I love him nearly like one of my own. For a week you have kept the poor lad marching and watching, and you are one of the worst of them, Captain Macpherson.”
Gervase smiled where he lay, for he dearly loved a battle royal between the two, in which the victory usually lay with the weaker. Macpherson had gone grimly to the attack, but he had ended by falling nearly as much under her power as her husband himself.
“You are very right, Mistress Sproule,” Gervase heard the voice of the old soldier say, “and though it is an urgent matter, he will have half an hour more. You are right to be careful for him, and I like you none the worse for your watchfulness. It may be you will let me sit down within till he wakens?”