Bayard's woods?"

"I remember," said Colden, faintly, first reddening, then taking on a
pale and sickly look, as if a prey to hidden chagrin and rage.

It seemed as if his tormentor intended to torture him interminably.
Peyton, who knew that one of his men would come for him as soon as the
horse should be saddled and bridled, remained facing the unhappy
major, wearing that frank half-smile which, from the triumphant to the
crestfallen, seems so insolent and is so maddening.

"I've often thought," said Peyton, "I deserved small credit for
getting the better of you that day. I had taken lessons from London
fencing-masters." (Consider that the woman whom Colden loved was
looking on, and that this was all news to her, and imagine how he
raged beneath the outer calmness he had, for safety's sake, to wear.)
"'Twas no hard thing to disarm you, and I'm not sorry you're neutral
now. For if you wore British or Tory uniform, 'twould be my duty to
put you again at disadvantage, by taking you prisoner."

The face of one of Peyton's men now appeared in the doorway. Peyton
nodded to him, then continued to address the major.

"As for your request, my traps are now on the other horse, and there
is not time to change. I must ride at once."

He stepped quickly to the door, and on the threshold turned to bow.

Then cried Elizabeth:

"May you ride to your destruction, for your impudence, you bandit!"

"Thank you, madam! I shall ride where I must! Farewell! My horse is
waiting."

And in an instant he was gone, having closed the door after him with a
bang.

"_His_ horse! The highwayman!" quoth Elizabeth.

"Give the gentleman his due," said Miss Sally, in a way both mollified
and mollifying. "He paid for it with those." She indicated the strewn
fragments of the Continental bills on the floor.

"Forward! Get up!"

It was the voice of Captain Peyton outside. The horses were heard
riding away from the lawn.

Elizabeth opened the door and looked out. Her aunt accompanied her.
Old Valentine gazed with a sagely deploring expression at the torn-up
bills on the floor. Colden stood where he had been, lest by some
chance the enemy might return and discover his relief from straint.

"Oh," cried Elizabeth, at the door, as the light horsemen filed out
the gate and up the branch road towards the highway, "to see the
miserable rebel mounted on my Cato!"

"He looks well on him," said her aunt.

It was a brief flow of light from the fres