We'd best merely tell
her, then, that the rebels were on the alert, and fell upon us before
we could meet her brother."
We thought to find her with face all alive, expectant of the best
news, or at least in a fever of impatience, and that therefore 'twould
be the more painful to tell her the truth. But when the captain's
servant let the three of us in at the front door (Tom and I had waited
while Falconer briefly reported our fiasco to General Clinton) and we
found her waiting for us upon the stairs, her face was pale with a set
and tragic wofulness, as if tidings of our failure had preceded us.
There was, perhaps, an instant's last flutter of hope against hope, a
momentary remnant of inquiry, in her eyes; but this yielded to
despairing certainty at her first clear sight of our crestfallen
faces.
"'Twas all for nothing, then?" she said, with a quiet weariness which
showed that her battle with disappointment had been fought and had
left her tired out if not resigned.
"Yes," said the captain, apparently relieved to discover that no storm
of disappointment or reproach was to be undergone. "They are too
watchful. We hadn't yet come upon your brother, when a heavy fire
broke out upon us. We were lucky to escape before they could surround
us. Nine of our men are missing."
She gave a shudder, then came to us, kissed Tom with more than
ordinary tenderness, grasped my hand affectionately, and finally held
the captain's in a light, momentary clasp.
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