Kincaid's Battery
Page 63
LXIII
THE IRON-CLAD OATH
Under Anna's passive air lay a vivid alertness to every fact in range ofeye or ear.
Any least thing now might tip the scale for life or death, and while atthe head of the veranda steps she spoke of happiness her distressedthought was of Hilary's madcap audacity, how near at hand he might beeven then, under what fearful risk of recognition and capture. She waskeenly glad to hear two men complain that the guard about the house andgrounds was to-day a new one awkward to the task. Of less weight now itseemed that out on the river the despatch-boat had shifted her berthdown-stream and with steam up lay where the first few wheel turns wouldput her out of sight. Indoors, where there was much official activity,it relieved her to see that neither Hilary's absence nor her comingcounted large in the common regard. The brace of big generals were inthe library across the hall, busy on some affair much larger than thisof "ourn."
The word was the old coachman Israel's. What a tender joy it was to findhim in the wretched drawing-room trying to make it decent for her anddropping his tears as openly as the maid. With what a grace, yet howboldly, he shut the door between them and blue authority. While the girlarranged on a table, for Anna's use, a basket of needlework brought withthem he honestly confessed his Union loyalty, yet hurriedly, under hisbreath, bade Anna not despair, and avowed a devotion to the safety andcomfort of "ole mahs's and mis's sweet baby" as then and forever hishigher law. He was still autocrat of the basement, dropsied with thefavor of colonels and generals, deferential to "folks," but apast-master in taking liberties with things. As he talked he socorrected the maid's arrangement of the screen that the ugly hole in thewall was shut from the view of visitors, though left in range of Anna'swork-table, and as Anna rose at a tap on the door, with the gentleceremony of the old home he let in Doctor Sevier and Colonel Greenleafand shut himself out.
"Anna," began the Doctor, "There's very little belief here that you'reinvolved in this thing."
"Why, then," archly said Anna, "who is?"
"Ah, that's the riddle. But they say if you'll just take the oath ofallegiance--"
Anna started so abruptly as to imperil her table. Her color came and hervoice dropped to its lowest note as she said between long breaths:"No!--no!--no!"
But the Doctor spoke on:
"They believe that if you take it you'll keep it, and they say that themoment you take it you may go free, here or anywhere--to Mobile if youwish."
Again Anna flinched: "Mobile!" she murmured, and then lifting her eyesto Greenleaf's, repeated, "No! No, not for my life. Better Ship Island."
Greenleaf reddened. "Anna," put in the Doctor, but she lifted a hand:--
"They've never offered it to you, Doctor? H-oh! They'd as soon think ofasking one of our generals. They'd _almost_ as soon"--the corners of herlips hinted a smile--"ask Hilary Kincaid."
"I've never advised any one against it, Anna."
"Well, I do!--every God-fearing Southern man and woman. A woman is all Iam and I may be short-sighted, narrow, and foolish, but--Oh, ColonelGreenleaf, you shouldn't have let Doctor Sevier take this burden foryou. It's hard enough--"
The Doctor intervened: "Anna, dear, this old friend of yours"--laying afinger on Greenleaf--"is in a tight place. Both you and Hilary--"
"Yes, I know, and I know it's not fair to him. Lieutenant--Colonel, Imean, pardon me!--you sha'n't be under odium for my sake or his. As faras I stand accused I must stand alone. The one who must go free is thatmere child Victorine, on her pass, to-day, this morning. When I hear theparting gun of that boat down yonder I want to know by it that Victorineis safely on her way to Mobile, as she would be had she not been mymessenger yesterday."
"She carried nothing but a message?"
"Nothing but a piece of writing--mine! Colonel, I tell you faithfully,whatever Major Kincaid broke prison with was not brought here yesterdayby any one and was never in Victorine's hands."
"Nor in yours, either?" kindly asked Greenleaf.
Anna caught her breath and went redder than ever. Doctor Sevier stirredto speak, but Anna's maid gave her a soft thrust, pointed behind thescreen, and covered a bashful smile with her apron. Anna's blush becameone of mirth. Her eyes went now to the Doctor and again to the brokenwall.
"Israel!" she laughed, "why do you enter--?"
"On'y fitten' way, missie. House so full o' comin' and goin', and mehavin' dis cullud man wid me."
Out on the basement ladder, at the ragged gap of Israel's "on'y fittin'way," was visible, to prove his word, another man's head, white-turbanedlike his own, and two dark limy hands passing in a pail of mortar.Welcome distraction. True, Greenleaf's luckless question still stoodunanswered, but just then an orderly summoned him to the busy generalsand spoke aside to Doctor Sevier.
"Miss Valcour," explained the Doctor to Anna.
"Oh, Doctor," she pleaded, "I want to see her! Beg them, won't you, tolet her in?"