nued, fixing his keen eyes upon her, "is the one
weak point in the position of this place that is neither overlooked nor
defended. But perhaps," he added again grimly, "you already know it."

"It is the marsh where the flowers grow, near the path where you met
Miss Faulkner. I had crossed the marsh to give her a letter," she said
slowly.

A bitter smile came over Brant's face, but passed as quickly.

"Enough," he said quietly, "I will meet you beside the Run, and cross
the marsh with you until you are within hailing distance of your lines.
I will be in plain clothes, Alice," he went on slowly, "for it will not
be the commander of this force who accompanies you, but your husband,
and, without disgracing his uniform, he will drop to your level; for the
instant he passes his own lines, in disguise, he will become, like you,
a spy, and amenable to its penalties."

Her eyes seemed suddenly to leap up to his with that strange look of
awakening and enthusiasm which he had noted before. And in its complete
prepossession of all her instincts she rose from the bed, unheeding her
bared arms and shoulders and loosened hair, and stood upright before
him. For an instant husband and wife regarded each other as unreservedly
as in their own chamber at Robles.

"When shall I go?"

He glanced through the window already growing lighter with the
coming dawn. The relief would pass in a few moments; the time seemed
propitious.

"At once," he said. "I will send Rose to you."

But his wife had already passed into the closet, and was tapping upon
some inner door. He heard the sound of hinges turning and the rustling
of garments. She reappeared, holding the curtains of the closet together
with her hand, and said,--

"Go! When she comes to your office for the pass, you will know that I
have gone."

He turned away.

"Stop!" she said faintly.

He turned back. Her expression had again changed. Her face was deadly
pale; a strange tremor seemed to have taken possession of her. Her hands
dropped from the curtain. Her beautiful arms moved slightly forward;
it seemed to him that she would in the next moment have extended them
towards him. But even then she said hurriedly, "Go! Go!" and slipped
again behind the curtains.

He quickly descended the stairs as the sound of trampling feet on the
road, and the hurried word of command, announced the return of the
scouting party. The officer had little report to make beyond the fact
that a mornin