“May I ask who?” interrupted the American quickly, and slightly coloring.

“Major Montgomerie.”

“So I suspected.  Was the other officer of my regiment?”

“The other,” said the General, “bears no commission, and is simply a volunteer in the expedition—­one in short, whose earnest wish to reach Detroit, was the principal motive for my offering the Major his liberty on parole.”

“And may I ask the name of this individual, so unimportant in rank, and yet so filled with ardor in the cause, as to be thus anxious to gain the theatre of war?”

“One probably not unknown to you, Colonel, as the niece of your brother officer—­Miss Montgomerie.”

“Miss Montgomerie here!” faltered the American, rising and paling as he spoke, while he mechanically placed on the table a glass of wine he had the instant before raised to his lips—­“surely it cannot be.”

There was much to excite interest, not only in the changed tone but in the altered features of the American, as he thus involuntarily gave expression to his surprise.  The younger officers winked at each other, and smiled their conviction of une affaire de coeur—­while the seniors were no less ready to infer that they now had arrived at the true secret of the impatience of Miss Montgomerie to reach the place of her destination.  To the penetrating eye of the General, however, there was an expression of pain on the countenance of the officer, which accorded ill with the feeling one might be supposed to entertain, who had been unexpectedly brought nearer to an object of attachment, and he kindly sought to relieve his evident embarrassment by remarking: 

“I can readily comprehend your surprise, Colonel.  One would scarcely have supposed that a female could have had courage to brave the dangers attendant on an expedition of this kind, in an open boat—­but Miss Montgomerie, I confess, appears to me to be one whom no danger could daunt, and whose resoluteness of purpose, once directed, no secondary agency could divert from its original aim.”

Before the officer, having partially regained his composure, could reply, Colonel D’Egville, who had absented himself during the latter part of the conversation, returned and addressing the former in terms that proved their acquaintance to have been of previous date, invited him to partake of some refreshment, which had been prepared for him in an adjoining apartment.  This the American at first faintly declined, on the plea of delay having been prohibited by his chief; but, on the General jocosely remarking that, sharing their hospitality on the present occasion would be no barrier to breaking a lance a week hence, he assented; and, following Colonel D’Egville, passed through a short corridor into a smaller apartment where a copious but hurried refreshment had been prepared.