; I am both those things, Captain Claiborne. But I am also in a great
hurry. What do you want with me?"

"You are a rogue, an impostor--"

"We will grant that," said Armitage quietly. "Where is your warrant for
my arrest?"

"That will be forthcoming fast enough! I want you to understand that I
have a personal grievance against you."

"It must wait until day after to-morrow, Captain Claiborne. I will come
to you here or wherever you say on the day after to-morrow."

Armitage spoke with a deliberate sharp decision that was not the tone of
a rogue or a fugitive. As he spoke he advanced until he faced Claiborne
in the center of the room. Shirley still stood by the window, holding the
soiled paper in her hand. She had witnessed the change of men at the end
of the room; it had touched her humor; it had been a joke on her brother;
but she felt that the night had brought a crisis: she could not continue
to shield a man of whom she knew nothing save that he was the object of a
curious enmity. Her idle prayer that her own land's commonplace
sordidness might be obscured by the glamour of Old World romance came
back to her; she had been in touch with an adventure that was certainly
proving fruitful of diversion. The _coup de theatre_ by which Armitage
had taken the place of his servant had amused her for a moment; but she
was vexed and angry now that he had dared come again to the house.

"You are under arrest, Mr. Armitage; I must detain you here," said
Claiborne.

"In America--in free Virginia--without legal process?" asked Armitage,
laughing.

"You are a housebreaker, that is enough. Shirley, please go!"

"You were not detached from the army to find a housebreaker. But I will
make your work easy for you--day after to-morrow I will present myself to
you wherever you say. But now--that cable message which my man found in
your sheep pasture is of importance. I must trouble you to read it to
me."

"No!" shouted Claiborne.

Armitage drew a step nearer.

"You must take my word for it that matters of importance, of far-reaching
consequence, hang upon that message. I must know what it is."

"You certainly have magnificent cheek! I am going to take that paper to
Baron von Marhof at once."

"Do so!--but _I_ must know first! Baron von Marhof and I are on the same
side in this business, but he doesn't understand it, and it is clear you
don't. Give me the message!"

He spoke commandingly, his voice thrilling with earnestne