Israel Stakes, the coachman, is the only one who comes from this part of the country, and he seems to be a stolid, honest fellow, who is not easily scared." "Poor little girl," I exclaimed, looking down at the slim, graceful figure by my side.

"This is no atmosphere for you to live in.

Why will you not let me rescue you from it?
Why won't you allow me to go straight and ask the general for your hand?
At the worst he could only refuse." She turned quite haggard and pale at the very thought.
"For Heaven's sake, John," she cried earnestly, "do nothing of the kind.
He would whip us all away in the dead of the night, and within a week we should be settling down again in some wilderness where we might never have a chance of seeing or hearing from you again.

Besides, he never would forgive us for venturing out of the grounds." "I don't think that he is a hard-hearted man," I remarked.

"I have seen a kindly look in his eyes, for all his stern face." "He can be the kindest of fathers," she answered.