They dismounted at the house, and fastening their horses to the portico knocked at the door.

It was opened by a negro.
"Tell your master," Vincent said, "that Mr.Wingfield wishes to speak to him." Andrew Jackson himself came to the door.
"To what do I owe the very great pleasure of this visit, Mr.Wingfield ?" he said grimly.
"I have come to ask you what you have done with Dinah Moore, whom, I have every ground for believing, you have caused to be kidnaped from my mother's house." "This is a serious charge, young gentleman," Andrew Jackson said, "and one that I shall call upon you to justify in the law courts.

Men are not to be charged with criminal actions even by young gentlemen of good Virginian families." "I shall be quite ready to meet you there, Mr.Jackson, whenever you choose; but my visit here is rather to give you an opportunity of escaping the consequences that will follow your detection as the author of the crime; for I warn you that I will bring the crime home to you, whatever it costs me in time and money.

My offer is this: produce the woman and her child, and not only shall no prosecution take place, but I will remain silent concerning a fact which affects the honor of your son." Andrew Jackson's face had been perfectly unmoved during this conversation until he heard the allusion to his son.

Then his face changed visibly.
"I know nothing concerning which you can attack the honor of my son, Mr.
Wingfield," he said with an effort to speak as unconcernedly as before.
"My charge is as follows," Vincent said quietly: "I was imprisoned at Elmira with a number of other officers, among them your son.