agerness: "Oh, Carus! I
knew you were brave and true! Did his Excellency say so? And well he
might, too!--with you, a gentleman, facing the vilest of deaths there
in New York, year after year. I am so glad, so proud of you, Carus, so
happy! What have they made you--a major-general?"

"Oh, not yet," I said, laughing.

"And why not?" she exclaimed hotly.

"Elsin, if you don't dress quickly I'll sit at breakfast without you!"
I warned her.

"Oh, I will, I will; I'm lacing--something--this very instant! Carus,
when I bid you, you may come in and tie my shoulder-points. Wait a
moment, silly! Just one more second. Now!"

As I entered she came up to me, turning her shoulder, and I threaded
the points clumsily enough, I suppose, but she thanked me very sweetly,
turned to the mirror, patted the queue-ribbon to a flamboyant allure,
and, catching my hand in hers, pointed at the glass which reflected us
both.

"Look at us!" she exclaimed, "look at the two runaways! Goodness, I
should never have believed it, Carus!"

We stood a moment, hand clasping hand, curiously regarding the mirrored
faces that smiled back so strangely at us. Then, somewhat subdued and
thoughtful, we walked out through my chamber into a sunny little
breakfast-room where landlord and servant received us a trifle too
solemnly, and placed us at the cloth.

"Their owlish eyes mean Gretna Green," whispered Elsin, leaning close
to me; "but what do we care, Carus? And they think us married in New
York. Now, sir, if you ever wished to see how a hungry maid can eat
Tapaan soupaan, you shall see now!"

The Tapaan hasty-pudding was set before us, and in a twinkling we were
busy as bees in clover. Pompions and clingstone peaches went the way of
the soupaan; a dish of troutlings followed, and out of the corner of my
eye I saw other dainties coming and rejoiced. Lord, what a pair of
appetites were there! I think the Blue Fox must have licked his painted
chops on the swinging sign under the window to see how we did full
justice to the fare, slighting nothing set before us. And while the
servants were running hither and thither with dishes and glasses I
questioned the landlord, who was evidently prodigiously impressed with
Colonel Hamilton's visit; and I gathered from mine host that, excepting
for ourselves, all the other guests were officers of various degrees,
and that, thanks to the nearness of the army and the consequent
scarcity of skinners, business was brisk