“What a pretty tale!� said Mrs. Markham; “and now to bed, to bed, boys.�
“Thank you, sir,� said Tom.
Bill was silent.
“Then it wasn’t a real angel,� said Harry.
“Yes, it was,� laughed Verney. “It was a woman.�
On this Harry, who had the gift of imagination, got up and kissed his mother, who, comprehending him, smiled.
Just as they were going noisily to bed a servant came in and said an orderly was without. He gave a paper to Verney, who awakened the Colonel and gave him a letter.
The Colonel rubbed his eyes and looked at it. “I hoped they had forgotten. Here are our orders to inspect the lines to-morrow on Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.�
“And here,� said Verney, “is Montresor’s map of the forts in and about the city. He promised me to send it as a guide to the outlying works.� The twins having gone, Tom lingered, unnoticed.