“This, Miss Hayward. I have loved you long and dearly. To-morrow we may be parted, and I would ask you, should the fortunes, or rather the misfortunes, of war deprive you of a brother’s love and protection, will you not permit me to seek you out and become your future protector?”
“Captain Walker, these words surprise me, and I think propriety demanded that they should have been spoken in the presence of my brother.”
“Pardon me, dear lady. I have waited until this hour for your brother’s return, and at last, fearing I should have no other opportunity, I ventured to visit you now. You have a friend and sister in Alibamo, and surely you will not fear to speak before her.”
“I can not answer your question—it refers to the future.”
“Then for the _present_. Let me speak plainly, and I beg you will do the same. Can you not at least regard me _now_ as your friend and protector, and give me a friend’s privileges?”
The timid girl turned toward Alibamo, and in an inaudible voice, spoke a word.
“She answers promptly, _no_!” replied Alibamo, somewhat sterner than was her usual manner.
“You _love_ another, then?” asked Walker.
“Is the favored one Lieutenant Wells?” again asked Walker.
“You are impertinent, Captain Walker,” replied Alibamo. “I must request you to retire. How can you thus, in her brother’s absence, address her in this manner?”
At this moment there was a commotion in the tent of Nettleton. The voice of the negro was heard, exclaiming:
“I he’rd you, massa Nettleton. There ain’t no use in you denyin’ it. I he’rd massa cap’n say, ‘Oh, Nettleton, ye kill me!’ Oh Lord, if eber I get out ob _dis_ scrape, ye’ll neber catch dis chile in such another one.”
“Is the nigger crazy? What is the darn skunk talking about?”
“Oh, you needn’t make b’lieve ignoramus on dis ’ere question. I he’rd ye.”
“Now, look a here, you unconscionable dark; if you have got any thing to say, spit it out. Don’t make a darn skunk of yourself.”
“Oh! won’t I fotch ye up in de morning? Yes, sah!”
“Are you going to speak, and say what you mean?”
“Oh, golly! You go back on de cap’n dat way!”
“What cap’n? Out with it, or I’ll break your head and every bone in your body,” exclaimed Nettleton, in a state of undisguised excitement.