Well, mother," he went on in answer to an appealing look from her, "I will not put myself out this first evening of my return, and will say no more about it.

There will be plenty of time to take the matter up to-morrow.
And now about all our friends and acquaintances.

How are they getting on?
Have you heard of any more of my old chums being killed since I was taken prisoner at Antietam ?" It was late in the evening before Vincent heard all the news.
Fortunately, the list of casualties in the Army of Virginia had been slight since Antietam; but that battle had made many gaps among the circle of their friends, and of these Vincent now heard for the first time, and he learned, too, that although no battle had been fought since Antietam, on the 17th of September, there had been a sharp skirmish near Fredericksburg, and that the Federal army, now under General Burnside, who had succeeded McClellan, was facing that of Lee, near that town, and that it was believed that they would attempt to cross the Rappahannock in a few days.
It was not until he had retired for the night that Vincent allowed his thoughts to turn again to the missing woman.

Her loss annoyed and vexed him much more than he permitted his mother to see.

In the first place, the poor girl's eagerness to show her gratitude to him upon all occasions, and her untiring watchfulness and care during his illness from his wound, had touched him, and the thought that she was now probably in the hands of brutal taskmasters was a real pain to him.