orm me, sir."

"You know this man?"

She turned, and looked at me for the first time, a silent plea in her
blue eyes.

"I do--he is Major Lawrence of General Washington's army," her voice low,
but distinct. "I have known him since the Continental troops were first
quartered in Philadelphia."

I started slightly, yet as instantly recovered my outward composure,
realizing that this strange girl again purposed protecting me from
exposure, even at the expense of a falsehood.

"Indeed; you were doubtless aware then that he was within Sir Henry
Clinton's lines as a spy?"

"Far from it," she laughed easily, not glancing toward me, but permitting
her eyes to rest upon the bewildered face of Captain Grant. "Why, that
idea is perfectly absurd. Did you tell my father so ridiculous a story,
Captain?"

"Did I! What else could I say?" he growled indignantly. "He was within
our lines in British uniform."

Her long lashes veiled the blue depths modestly.

"Yet there might be other reasons for such masquerade, gentlemen," she
confessed. "Would it be impossible, think you, that he should have taken
so great a risk to again meet with me?"

There was a silence following the simple question, broken by Seldon's
laugh, as he slapped his knee in appreciation.

"Good enough, by Gad!" he exclaimed heartily. "The lass has cleared the
mystery with a word. The fellow would be a poor soldier indeed to fail in
such a test--eh, Grant?"

The Ranger scowled at him in sullen response, his face dark with passion.

"Hell's acre! This sort of thing may touch your humor, but not mine. What
is the meaning of your words, Mistress Claire? Are you shameless,
forgetting the pledge between us?"

She turned her face toward him as a queen might, her head held high, her
cheeks flaming.

"You have had your answer once for all, Captain Grant. There is no pledge
between us."

"But, daughter," broke in the Colonel, still bewildered by this sudden
explosion. "I can scarcely comprehend; surely it was understood that you
were affianced to this son of an old neighbor."

"Understood, yes, by those who kindly arranged the affair, but the fact
that I might possess a heart of my own was entirely overlooked. As a
child I permitted you to plan my future without protest. I am a woman
now; I have been out in the world; the war has taken all girlhood from
me. If this were not true the way Captain Grant has watched my every
action in Philadelphia would have disg