As the two men left the room the orderly entered it once more and announced to the general that a lady was below who asked the privilege of an interview with him.
"Lady? What lady?" demanded Beauregard, impatiently.
He was in no mood for feminine society after the difficult interview in which he had just participated.
"I think it is Miss Glen, sir. She says she must see you and—"
"Ah!" interrupted the general, hastily, as he recollected1 the scene on the wharf2 the night before, when Fanny Glen had fainted at the news that the boat was gone and that Lacy had gone with it. "Show her in here at once, orderly."
He had intended to seek her in her house in the course of the morning and break the melancholy3 news to her that the torpedo4 boat was lost in all probability with all on board, for from her agitation5 on the wharf he inferred that her affections were bestowed6 upon Lacy. He was very sorry for her, of course; but knowing Lacy as he had, and estimating Fanny Glen as he did, there was a certain sense of relief that she would not be condemned7 to a lifetime of misery8 which such a marriage would inevitably9 have entailed10. Still he pitied her profoundly, and he pitied her more when she came into the private office in the wake of the orderly and threw back her veil. Her beautiful face showed the sorrow under which she labored11. Suffering had thrown a blight12 upon it. The freshness and youth seemed to have departed from it. She was a piteous little spectacle indeed.
The general received her with the utmost cordiality and consideration. He handed her to a chair, and bade the orderly see that they were not disturbed on any account.
"Miss Fanny," he began gently—the war had brought the general and the brave girl very close together—"I was coming over to see you in a little while. You have shown yourself a brave little woman many times. You need all your courage now."
"Yes, General," said the girl, faintly, "I know."
"You have sustained a terrible loss."
"Is—is—Mr. Sempland—?"
"He is well enough at present. I refer to your friend, Major Lacy."
"Is he—?"
"I am sorry to say that in all probability he has lost his life in the torpedo boat. We can get no tidings of her or of any of her crew. She must have sunk with the ship."
"Did they succeed, sir?" interrupted Fanny Glen with an anxiety and an apprehension13 too great to be controlled.
"They did," returned Beauregard, somewhat surprised at her question, "but the torpedo boat, I think, went down with the ship she blew up; at any rate no one has seen her or any of her crew since the explosion. I knew that it was almost certain death to them."
Fanny Glen sank back in the chair. She almost lost consciousness in her agony. She murmured strange and incoherent words. The general did not understand them, but he rose, came to her side, bent14 over her and took her hand, patting it softly.
"I know, I know, my dear child," he said gently, "how you must suffer. Many another woman has had to give up her heart's desire for our beloved country. Think of the service he rendered, to you and to all of us! Think of his noble sacrifice, his death! Cherish his memory and be proud that he loved you and that you loved him. Few women have done more for the South than you, and there is still much to do. Work will assuage15 your grief," continued the general, laying his hand tenderly upon the bowed head. "You will always have the deathless memory of his heroism16."
"Oh!" cried the woman, throwing back her head, "you are wrong. You do not know, you do not understand. I honored Major Lacy, I rejoiced in his courage, but I did not love him. It is not he that I think of. It is my father."
"Your father? What do you mean?"
"Admiral Vernon."
"What!"
"Yes, he is my father. My name is Fanny Glen Vernon."
"Good heavens! It cannot be possible."
"It is true. My mother was a Southern woman, one of the Glens of Halifax—"
"I knew her!" exclaimed Beauregard.
"She died when I was a child, and I was brought up by her sister. My father—I did not see much of him. He was a sailor, and after my mother's death he sought constantly to be in active service. When the war broke out he said he must stand by the old flag. I strove to persuade him differently. It was horrible to me, to think that a son of South Carolina, and my father, would fight against her. There was a quarrel between us. I told my father I would not acknowledge him any longer. I repudiated17 the Vernon name and came here and worked for the South, as you know. When I learned yesterday that you were going to blow up the Wabash—"
"But my dear child," interrupted the general, quickly, "we didn't blow up the Wabash."
"But you said that Major Lacy had succeeded!" said the girl in great bewilderment.
"He did. The Wabash and Housatonic exchanged places during the night, and the latter was sunk. The Wabash is all right. For your sake, my dear Miss Fanny, I say thank God for the mistake."
"Then my father is safe?"
"He is. Some Yankees we captured this morning say that he is to be relieved of his command and ordered North on a sick leave. He will no longer be in danger from us, you see."
"Thank God, thank God!" cried the girl, and the relief in her voice and face seemed to make another woman of her. "It was wrong, I know. It was treason to the South—I love the South—but I strove to prevent—"
"Ah!" exclaimed Beauregard. "I have it now! Sempland—"
"Oh, sir!" cried the girl, "where is he?"
"He is preparing," continued Beauregard, coolly—he had the clew to the mystery and he determined18 to follow it to the end—"to be tried by a court-martial—"
"By a court-martial, General Beauregard! For what, sir?"
"For disobedience of orders and neglect of duty, in the face of the enemy. And I am in two minds whether to these charges should be added cowardice19 and treason or not!"
"Impossible!" exclaimed Fanny Glen.
"Miss Glen, it is an absolute fact. He came to me yesterday afternoon and volunteered for the command of the expedition. Begged for it, in fact. Major Lacy reluctantly but generously yielded to him with my consent."
"It was for me he sought it," said the girl, full of reproach for herself. "I had mocked him for his lack of distinction, sir, before he saw you. He hazarded his life for my approval and for the cause of the South."
A fuller light broke upon the general's mind. He understood all now, yet he went on pitilessly.
"After getting command in this peculiar20 way he failed to present himself on the wharf at the appointed time. We waited ten minutes for him, as long as we dared, in fact, and then as you know, sent the boat out under Major Lacy."
"He was detained," said the girl, faintly.
"So he said when I arrested him last night, and he repeated the statement this morning. I pressed him to tell me by whom and where he had been detained, but he refused to tell. I plied22 him with every argument at my command. I pointed21 out to him the consequences of his action, his failure to justify23 himself, that is, showed him clearly the penalty which the court-martial would undoubtedly24 inflict25 upon him—"
"That is?"
"Death, madam! He will probably be shot to-morrow, for his guilt26 is clear."
The girl's head fell forward in her hands. There was a little silence in the room. The general watched her narrowly, but said nothing further. He was waiting, in full confidence that she would speak. He could afford to be patient now.
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1
recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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3
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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4
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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6
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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8
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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9
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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10
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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11
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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12
blight
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| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
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13
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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14
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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15
assuage
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| v.缓和，减轻，镇定 | |
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16
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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17
repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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18
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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20
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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22
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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23
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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24
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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25
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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26
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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