University of Virginia Library

66. CHAPTER LXVI.
THE MYSTERY.

When the British steamer Buzzard landed at the Navy
Yard the sun had set, and the first stars were twinkling in
the East. The firing of the many batteries had ceased, and
a comparative silence reigned where all had been so lately
involved in the thunders and violences of furious war.

A carriage was procured, and the prisoner, still attended
by Willy, whose passport and protection from Ruffleton yet
served him, was driven into the city. Lieutenant Junkins sat
outside with the driver; and knowing not what else to do
with Alice, conducted her to the White House.

Jim Ready, at first, refused peremptorily to admit them.
But upon learning that the officer had led the expedition
against Mount Vernon, the destruction of which was already
the subject of conversation in the city, and on seeing
Willy's credentials, the doorkeeper gave way, and conducted
the party into the Green Room, through which Flora Summers
was just then gliding. She paused, and strove to penetrate
the thick veil worn by Alice. Foiled in this, she retraced
her steps, and accosted the maiden thus:

“Ah! the doorkeeper neglected to announce your name!
Can I serve you—Is it possible?” she cried, as Alice threw
aside the veil.

“Yes,” said Alice, without the slightest evidence of perturbation,
“we meet again. But it is not a voluntary act
on my part. I am a prisoner. It was fitting that the one
who applied the torch at Mount Vernon should be the one
to make a captive of the President's daughter!”

“It was wrong! It was infamous!” said Flora, in a low
tone, and gently seizing the hand of Alice, led her into the
next room, saying, as she withdrew, to the Lieutenant and
Willy, “Remain until I return, and hold no communication
with any one.”

“Flora,” said Alice, “I cannot forget, neither of us can
ever forget, the manner of your expulsion from the President's
mansion but a short time ago. And now the
daughter of the President is conducted into your presence
a prisoner, and you are the mistress of the Presidential
Mansion!”

“It is true!” said Flora, but not with an air of exultation.
“Be seated—and deem me not your enemy.”

“I do not think you are my enemy,” responded Alice;
“and although I could not approve your conduct, I could
not avoid respecting your motive. There was a self-abnegation
in the sacrifices you made, an abandonment of every
consideration but devotion to the one you loved. I could
not approbate your perfidy to my father; but I could not
help admiring your fidelity to Ruffleton.”

“Hush! speak lower!” said Flora, rising and tripping
lightly back to the door, which she locked. Then resuming
her seat near the sofa on which the weary Alice reclined,
she continued:

“You have scanned the secrets of my soul! Ruffleton
may be false, he may be wicked, he may be the vilest monster
that ever existed: but he it was upon whom was
centred my first young love! And, oh! Alice Randolph,
I implore you not to interpose your high-born beauty and
intellectual forehead between my love and me! Do not, in
the hour of my triumph, snatch the prize from my grasp!
I am more humble, or less polished than thou; but not less
faithful than the highest-born maiden in the land! I look
upon thy starry brow, thy femininely classical features, and

perfect form, and admire them all. If I were a man I
would worship at your shrine! But, being a woman, I
would not have my love worship thee! Oh, Alice Randolph!
was it fate or destiny that brought thee hither?
Could you not have escaped?”

“My word was passed. I promised to obey the monster's
orders, provided he touched me not with his polluted hand.”

“And that word! Neither love, nor life, nor death,
would suffice to violate the simple pledge of the high-born
and high-bred maiden! And I, too, admire, although I
have not practised such rigid virtue. But were there no
means of rescue?”

“My guards were in the battle, and the arrival of these
British steamers was not anticipated. But, Flora Summers,
if my presence here is the occasion of such agonizing alarm,
why not send me back again? Women are not usually
made prisoners of war.”

“I have thought of everything already. Thought, like
lightning, has been flashing through my brain ever since
we met. My first impulse was to kill you. And you do
not start to hear it!”

“No; it would have been your love, not your nature.”

“The next thought was instantaneous escape. But then
he would have attributed it to my jealousy, and perhaps I
should have atoned for it with my blood. But death would
be preferable to desertion!”

“Then what was the next thought? What was the
final conclusion?”

“You must see him. He will know of your capture
and presence in the palace. I must dissemble, and seem to
exult over your calamity, and then he will not suspect me
of conniving at your escape.”

“Escape?”

“Yes; and you must escape within an hour, or else we
are both lost to all eternity! Promise me, Alice Randolph!
Pledge me your word that you will leave this palace, leave
this city, within the next sixty minutes!”

“I cannot promise anything without knowing I possess
the ability to perform it. I will certainly make my escape
if I can; and—”

“Oh, promise! Else my roused jealousy may cause me
to strike you dead, before the expiration of the hour!”

“If you doubt my anxiety to depart, you do me great
injustice. If you deem me capable of—of—remaining for
the purpose of attracting the regards of Ruffleton—”

“No! no! Do not knit your brows. I do not fear
anything of the sort! You do not love him, and never
would or could love him! I would not kill you for any
wilful injury done to me, or for any act or fault of yours;
but for your beauty, for your perfections, your superiority
in every respect, which would, however much he might
contend against them, if inclined to do so at all, certainly
weaken my hold upon him, and ultimately bereave me of
his affection. You must understand me!”

“I do, Flora! And I have no hesitation in pledging my
word to escape from this place at the very earliest moment
possible. But I think you flatter me too much, in supposing
that I might attract the regards of Ruffleton; on the contrary,
I should certainly endeavor to be as repulsive as possible.”

“Oh, but you know the more one is repulsed, in love,
the more he will pursue! And yet you must see him! Use
your own phraseology in a note announcing your captivity,
and I will deliver it into his hand. There are the writing
materials. I will return soon.” Flora then hastened back
to the green room, where Junkins and Willy awaited her.

“Lieutenant Junkins,” said she, “I will, with your permission,
take charge of your prisoner. It is not proper, you
know, for a captive lady to remain in the custody of an
officer.”

“As for that matter, Miss,” said Junkins, “I think she's
all of a Tartar, and I'm glad to be rid of her. But I thought
it my duty to bring her here; and if not, that the Protector
would instruct me to deliver her over to Lord Slysir.”

“Lord Slysir! By no means! He was once her father's
guest, and then he conceived no partiality for her, nor she
for him. But now—no! you have done right. I will inform
his Highness of your meritorious conduct. His Highness
is at the present moment engaged, and will receive no
visitors at this hour. But to-morrow he will, himself, refer
to this matter.”

The Lieutenant, bowing, withdrew from the presence of
one who seemed to exercise authority in the palace of the
Protector.

“Now, Willy,” said Flora, “I know you are a friend of
Alice, of Randolph, and of the South—”

“Be pleased to look at this,” said Willy, interrupting
her, and presenting the passport and protection of Ruffleton.

“No! no! What do they signify? Put them away.
You are in no danger here. But you must hide from the
sight of Ruffleton. Come with me.”

“Why must I hide, Miss Flora? And where would you
lead me? he continued, inclined to extricate his arm from
the grasp of the woman.

“You must assist Alice to escape!”

“Assist her to escape?”

“Yes. And it must not be known who fled with her.
There is a boat yonder at the end of the lawn, where Virus
and Windvane said they were taken. When I release you,
you must repair thither with Alice, and lose no time in
regaining the opposite shore, beyond the left wing of our
army—”

“Oh, Miss Flora!” exclaimed Willy, now clasping her
hand and kissing it, “how I have injured you in my
thoughts! In gratitude for your generous conduct, I shall
ever study how I may serve you!”

“It is not generous conduct, Willy! It is the reverse!
But I have no time for explanations. Still it is a good service
for your friend, and, possibly, some day you may have
it in your power to serve me. Be quick; follow me. I
hear Lord Slysir's voice. He approaches; and probably
he met that thick-skulled Lieutenant. Step into this closet,
and when I give the signal glide into the room, and away
through the window with Alice!”

The closet was near the door, and as dark within as
midnight; but Willy, the door being slightly open for the
admission of air, had a partial view of the passage, then
brilliantly illuminated, and might see into the room itself,
when the door was open. He had not been long in concealment
before he heard the heavy tread of some one, who
he supposed might be Ruffleton, and held his breath in
terror. But a moment afterwards he recognised the well
remembered “Hem!” of Lord Slysir. His Lordship strode
forward directly to the door of the room; but there he uttered
his usual ejaculation again on being foiled in his attempt to

enter. Flora had taken the precaution to lock the door.
His Lordship strode back a few steps and paused to listen.
He recognised the step of Ruffleton. Willy, peeping
through the key-hole, having drawn the door quite close a
moment before, saw his Lordship take a pinch of snuff, and
then smile at a sudden conceit which occurred to him. But
Willy's terror may be imagined when he beheld his Lordship
approach the closet in which he was concealed! His
Lordship pulled without, and Willy pulled within.

“Confound it!” said his Lordship. “Every place seems
locked against me; and I have no diplomatic key to penetrate
the mysteries of the palace! And here is Ruffleton
himself, and I am discovered!”

“Ah, Slysir!” said Ruffleton. “I am rejoiced to see
you. Come and assist me in deciphering the reports I have
from the army. Randolph has taken to flight again, and I
must follow him to-morrow or the next day; and I think
you had better accompany us. Diplomatic affairs of great
magnitude have often been consummated in the field and on
the water.”

“Ay, and on the water,” said Slysir. “I think I will
go with the fleet, if we can recover our good Admiral
Bang! And it was in relation to an exchange that I came
hither.”

“An exchange? What prisoner have we for whom Randolph
would exchange Admiral Bang?”

“Ah! I am happy to inform you. One of her Britannic
Majesty's officers has reported to me that an expedition,
which he had the honor to command, most unexpectedly,
and certainly most fortunately, made a prisoner which will
enable us to offer an equivalent for the Admiral. This is
good news, sir! And I trust you are prepared to congratulate
your faithful ally on the joyful event.”

“Most sincerely do I congratulate you! But what illustrious
officer is this you have taken? I find none in the
reports of Sir Charles, Balatrum, or Line.”

“The capture being by one of Her Majesty's officers, the
report was made to me.”

“But that was irregular, and subversive of stipulations.
I am the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in this
country as well as the American! I hope there is to be no
interference—no misunderstanding—”

“No—nothing of the kind! But doubtless you will
make every effort for the restitution of the Admiral.”

“Unquestionably.”

“Then you will permit me to open a negotiation for
the exchange of prisoners—the President's daughter for
Bang?”

“The President's daughter! You mean the smart
American girl who humbugged Lieutenant Junkins?”

“Smart—humbugged! Was it not Alice Randolph?”

“Pooh! nonsense! Windvane says she's the daughter
of an apothecary!”

“Then I have been mistaken, and grievously disappointed!
But, Ruffleton, I have a great curiosity to see this specimen
of an apothecary's daughter, so capable of personating
Miss Randolph. And, now I remember, Junkins had seen
Miss Randolph before, and it is very extraordinary that he
should be humbugged so egregiously! The resemblance
must be very great. At all events, this captive, he says, is
quite beautiful. May I see her?”

“I can have no objection.”

“Allons!” said Slysir, taking the Protector's arm.

“But she is not here. Flora thrust her out as soon as
she discovered the cheat. Flora will have no pretty impostors
in the palace! She is now in hysterics, and I am
sent for to appease her. We will have a scene! Let
go my arm. There must be no witness of our interview.”

“By St. George!” exclaimed his Lordship, “your Highness
is mistaken! I had a glimpse of Flora's hoops as I
came hither. She is not in the green room.”

“She will be there. She has no other means of access
besides this entrance. Good-night, Slysir! I wish you
happy dreams!”

And saying this, Ruffleton extricated himself from the
grasp of his companion, and applying the key, entered the
room and locked the door behind him. Slysir made one
more ineffectual effort to open the door of the closet, and
then turned away in despair. But he had not gone half-a-dozen
paces before he was startled by the sneezing of Wiry
Willy, who had imbibed some of his Lordship's snuff through
the key-hole.

“What the devil's that?” said Slysir, pausing. And

when in the act of turning to investigate the matter, he
was confronted by Flora herself, who glided in suddenly.

“Excause me, my Lord,” said she. “I am in great haste.
A matter of importance—”

“Pooh! I know all about it. She is rightly my prisoner
—not Ruffleton's. I want to exchange her for Admiral
Bang, and you ought to aid me. If we put our heads
together the thing can be accomplished.”

“We cannot put our heads together, my Lord! I can
do nothing without the countenance of his Highness. You
are aware of that. And it would not be expedient for
your Lordship to undertake to thwart any of the Lord
Protector's plans. He could manage the affairs of the
country now without foreign aid—”

“Nonsense, child! I have heard these intimations before.
Let us not dabble in politics. But don't you see the
danger to yourself in these protracted interviews between
Ruffleton and the beautiful Alice?”

“I am not aware of any such interviews, my Lord!”
said she, striving to stifle the agitation that tormented her.
“I—I know nothing of this matter; and it will be well for
neither of us to meddle—”

“Meddle? Not I. It is nothing, then. We were all
mistaken. It was an apothecary's daughter, and not the
daughter of the President, captured by Junkins. It is a
mere counterfeit that Ruffleton is confronting in the green
room—no one of any beauty, or pretensions—a mere bagatelle—and
I shall go home and to bed. And I find lordly
lodgings in the magnificent mansion of Langdon! Good-night—good-night.”

Willy heard Slysir's departing steps, and soon after Flora
glided softly past the closet and placed her ear near the
door of the green room. After remaining in that attitude
some time, she turned away and approached the closet in
which Willy was concealed.

“Willy!” said she, in a low whisper. “Willy!” she
repeated, for he seemed reluctant to reply for fear of discovery
by Ruffleton. “Open the closet. Alice has demanded
that the door of her room be thrown open, else she
will respond to nothing he says.”

“What do you want?” asked Willy, on hearing her
words.

“I want to hide in the closet,” said Flora, impatiently
inserting her fingers in the slight opening.

“But where shall I go?” demanded Willy.

“Stay where you are!” said she, pushing in with some
difficulty, destroying the shape of her crinoline, and crowding
poor Willy without ceremony. This had hardly been
accomplished before the door of the room was thrown wide
open.

“Now,” said Ruffleton, in a pretty distinct tone, “I have
complied with your imperative, if not capricious demand.
My proposition is made, and there is no constraint imposed
upon you. It remains for you to decide. Peace and permanent
power, or a bloody war and final subjugation.
Your father shall exercise equal authority, and, if he survives
me, shall be my successor.”

“I answer no!” said Alice.

“But you do it faintly. Consider it well.”

“It cannot be otherwise. My negative is calmly, not
faintly uttered. And I am frank to say there is no suitor
for my hand—and probably there never will be. Yet
my refusal is deliberately considered, and will be firmly adhered
to. If you would enjoy my respect, sir, you will
lose no time in restoring me to my father.”

“I am at war with your father, and you are a prisoner
of war. I will not abuse my advantage, in having possession
of the most charming woman in the world—”

“You dare not!” exclaimed Alice, her eyes flashing
fire.

“Be not too fast!” said Ruffleton. “I might dare, ad
infinitum. Hitherto my career has been a daring one—and
you see how I have succeeded. Nevertheless, I confess my
inclination to secure what I have gained, rather than to
increase my gains. Randolph, you, and I, might have undisputed
possession of the American world—”

“The Republic of Washington belongs to God!”

“Nonsense, maiden! The time has gone by for such patriotic
exhibitions. Fancies have given place to things. Republics
were always ephemeral, and now the whole brood is
extinct. But I will not weary you now. Rest to-night in
peace. I will write to Randolph that you are in safety, and
pledge him my honor—”

“Do not, I beseech you!”

“Why not? Will not the consciousness that your father
has such assurances from me be a relief, when you reflect
on your captive condition? Will it not bring slumber to
your eyelids?”

“No; I would depart without having the world know I
was ever in captivity.”

“That is plainly unreasonable and inadmissible. The
very least advantage we can expect to reap from your capture
would be the release of Admiral Bang.”

“Release me, and he shall be liberated.”

“It is easy for you to say so; but would your father
ratify the agreement?”

“He will redeem the pledge of his daughter, made
voluntarily, though in captivity.”

“He might do so. But if he should not, what then?
There would be no remedy; for he would violate no agreement.”

“My word would be violated; and, rather than it should
be so, I would return to your custody. General Ruffleton,
you know I speak the truth. Why, then, do you hesitate?”

“I would do better. I would have you remain; but
voluntarily, and share my power—be mistress of the
world—”

“I would die first!”

“Knit not your brows so disdainfully; but even that expression
becomes you. Oh, how I could adore her! and
yet she spurns me.”

“You promised not to insult me.”

“And will keep my word. But when was woman insulted
by the sincere homage of man?”

“A monster!—a murderer!”

“A murderer?”

“Ay; where is the aged Blount—the venerable Senator?”

“In heaven, I hope. But I am prepared to produce
proof of his guilt.”

“Of what was he guilty?”

“Of conspiring against my Government and my life.”

“Your Government!”

“Yes, my Government; and all the nations and peoples
shall respect it! Call it usurpation, if you please—subversion

or revolution; nevertheless, it is de facto, and will become
de jure. Farewell, till morning. Think of what I
have said—dream on it, and perhaps your heart may relent,
as your reason must teach you that the best policy—”

“I care nothing for policy! Never mention the subject
again. Your best policy is to release me.”

The last words were uttered in a loud tone, as the despot
retired from the room.

“Not yet,” whispered Flora, after Ruffleton strode past,
and when Willy manifested an impatience to escape from
his place of concealment. “Wait till he ascends the stairs.
I can hear him. Oh, the perfidious man!”

“And may she escape, as you promised?”

“Escape! If she remains under this roof a single night,
the next day she shall repose in the churchyard. Tell her
so, Willy. Tell her that to accede to Ruffleton's proposition
will be both dishonor and death. Now hasten—begone!”

“Oh, never fear us!” said Willy. “All we ask is an
opportunity to get away.”

He then glided into the room, and immediately after the
prisoner escaped from the rear window, assisted by Willy.