“You big damned fool!” I said. “You’ve raised enough hell for one day! Take these men out and hunt up a seaworthy boat for the general, and have it ready within the hour, or he’ll yank off your skin and use it for a wallet!”

“Oh, he will, will he?” Cap growled; but for all his bravado, he unhooked his thumbs from his belt and went lumbering off with Tom Bickford and the others.

As soon as they were out of hearing, I turned to Nathaniel. “If we’ve heard the truth of what you both feel, why in God’s name did you bring this girl down here alone? And why haven’t you sent her on to Albany?”

Ellen stamped her foot. “Zelph!” she cried. “Why have you cooked those pouts? For practice, maybe! Get plates this instant!”

Zelph leaped to his feet, and Ellen came to stand between Nathaniel and me, placid again. “For my part,” she said, “I’d better explain to you, Captain Merrill, that I’m not the spiritless little girl you saw at the Château de St. Auge. Since I left there, I’ve had only men to deal with, and that’s taught me a little independence of spirit. If you understand that, we can go ahead and help you to understand a few more things, but I’ll have to ask you to be discreet about speaking of them.”

“I understand you’ve changed since I first met you, and appear to be another person entirely,” I said, “or what’s more likely, I saw but a very little of you in St. John’s, and misunderstood that little. I’ll not speak of anything you tell me.”

At that she smiled with a sudden brightness. “Good! Then we’ll tell you everything, and you’ll find it very simple. My dear aunt, Mademoiselle de Sabrevois, wished to send me to Albany. She and I had intended to go there together; but ten days ago she became ill, and so couldn’t go herself, but was very anxious for me not to delay. On that account she chose your poor brother Nathaniel for the office of my escort.”

She laughed. “He was not very gallant; never did I see a gentleman less anxious to perform such an office.”

“What!” I said. “What!”