Year: 1868

CHAPTER XVI.


After having been on duty for forty eight hours,
the detachment under Capt Carberry, being re,
heved by fresh troops, returned to camp. Agree.
ably with the custom which prevailed on the island,
the detachment, just calledin, wasrelieved from all
duty for the space of tweny-four hours, and those
who composed it were permitted, under certain re-
strictions, to 60 whittier they would. Victor glad
" availed himself of this opportunity to visit the
city, for he had duties to perform there which ad
mitted of no delay.


Hisprincipal purpose was tosee lsolette Dew ere,
if she still remained in the city, and deliver to he,
the package of papers, taken from the body Of
Lieutenant Hardwyck, that he might expose tc
her the duplicity and falsehood of the man ir
whom she had 50 con6dingly trusted, and thus
mitigate the sorrow she must feel on learning thai
he had fallen. It was most ungrateful office te
perform; yet Victor felt so strong an interest in
the fate and happiness of the unfortunate 1soette
that he deemed it his duty to restore to her the
letters written by herself and those other letters
which would show her how greatly misplaced het
confidence had been.


Victor tarried in camp but long enough to change
his dress, which had been soiled, and with scarce
" word to any one around him, hastened to the
city.


As much as Victor desired to say farewell to
Isolette-for he knew she would not be suffered
long to remain in the city-yet he felt that visit
from him at this time would be painfully intrusive.
He wrote o brief note to accompany the package
of letters merely telling of the fate Of Lieutenant
Hardwyck, without speaking Of his own participa-
ton in the affair, and he thought it advisable to
assure her that the papers which his note covered
had been seen by no eyes but his own. Having
reached her residence, he rang at the. door, and
finding that she was at home he delivered the pack
age to servant with instructions to place it mme-
diately in her hands He would gladly have spo-
ken with her, but how could he intrude himself at
a time when the shadow Of great grief was dark
ening aroud her. What, though strict martial law
would have declared her spy, was she not labor
ing for a cause which she esteemed holy and just
And though he could but condemn her political
principles had not her conduct in all other re-
spects, so far as it had met his eye, been such as
to claim his admiration and respect and entite her,
in her hour of tribuaton, to his kindness and SYM
pathy? Beneath her cold and reserved exterior
he had seen how warm and kind heart beat in
her bosom. Others might cry aloud against her,
but her soft hand had bound up his bleeding brow
her feeble arms had borne him to a soft couch
when he lay fainting and speechless, and hung
over him in insensbiity with almost the love of g
sister. His heart had not been true to itself mol
to that mysterious instinct which drew them to-
gether, if it had not bled inwardly for her woe.


Bearing with him sad heart, he called ut Mrs
Vernon's; but though he found the mistress o1
the house as hospitable, and kind and pleasant as
on his previous visit, yet his face insensby betray
ed its sadness, when he learned that on the pre-.
vious day, telegraphic message had summoned
Nellie Danvers away to her home in Virginia
Her father had fallen on the field of battle at the
head of his regiment, grievously wounded, in 9
desperate charge, and Nellie had been summoned
to lis side.


Victor made his call much shorter than he had
intended; and Notwithstanding the cordial kind
ness of Mrs. Vernon, he left her hospitable home
with sad face and disappointed air. Much
more deeply than he had dreamed, was his hear
interested in the fair and beautiful Nellie, and nov
separated from her by hundreds of miles, it was
more than probable that they would never meet OF
earth again. ,


'She will soon forget-perhaps she has already
forgotten Thought Victor to himself that w
ever met Better-for me at least-that we hat
never met She can forget, but when will eve
again visit me, day y-dreams so pleasant as those
with which she inspired me?" Now aimless, ant
almost without purpose, the youth wended hi
way through the streets Of the venerable city
His face, usually so full of life and animation, pro
claimed the sadness of his heart. He wandered
listlessly from one place of amusement to another
He strolled down to the Bay, and, from the Bate
ry, watched the clouds of dust rising from thu
shattered walls of Sumter, under the regular anc
heavy firing of the enemy. The flag of the gal
lant Stephen Elliott was still floating proudly ove
the crumbling fortress. Oh! heroism, worthy o
Spartas most glorious days, why could you no
have won for US home and country Of ou
own


Weary with his long gazing, Victor at last turn
ed away and directed his steps to the historic tenn
pie of old St. Michael's. He patiently climbed tn
staircase of its tall spire, where, day and night,
regular lookout was kept upon all the batteries il
and around the city. Even the magnificent ant
startling panorama which met his eye, embracing
the city with its buildings and streets, the island
scanned with entertainments and bristfng with bat
teries, the bay, the shipping, the forts and tn
vessels of the enemy, lying beyond the bar-allth thi
failed to kindle him into animation. 1t is not tn
sight which one sees but the eyes with which b
sees it, that affects the heart


A few hours were spent by Victor in idle ant
aimless wanderings about the city, and finding
pleasure in none of the sights or sounds arount
him, he set out on his return to camp.


Unconsciously he took the street that led by tn
mansion where Isolette sat alone with her sorrows
struggling to bear up under the accumulated evil
and misfortunes that had gathered around her
As he strolled by he mechanically glanced up o
the house where he had passed so eventful night


Isolette was sitting sadly, as in painful revere
at a window that opened to the street. Their eye
met Isolette bowed and rose to her feet, ant
there was that in her air and manner that plainl.
evinced she both expected and desired him to call
While feeling that an interview might becom
both painful and embarrassing, Victor turned il
through the neatly kept garden and assembled tn
steps. 1t was kind, overruling Providence tina
guided the feet of Victor. Unconscious agents il
the hands of the Almighty, neither one was awar
of it at the time, but the happiness of two huma
beings, and the life of one, depended upon tn
meeting of Isolette and Victor now, within thl
very hour.


Tsolette met him at the door with the cordialit