She laughed again. “The conditions were not to his taste, you see. He is very ardent, poor Nathaniel; but he burns for the aunt: not for the niece. That was his misfortune—and mine! There seem to be rules for some of these armies that permit ladies to be present only if they are married or about to be, as that officer with you made almost embarrassingly plain a little while ago. My aunt said that poor Nathaniel and I must pretend we were only waiting for a priest, and that nothing in the world except not being able to find one after we left St. John’s, where we were too hurried, was the cause of our lack of matrimony.”

She pointed at Nathaniel and laughed outright. “Look at him! Just as he stands now! With that miserable look of trying to be dutiful! That is as near as he has come at any time to the appearance of an adorer.”

I let out a great breath: my shoulders seemed to straighten of their own will; and I looked affectionately at Nathaniel, who smiled sickishly.

“Now I truly begin to understand,” I said.

She eyed me gravely. “I think that must be unusual. This is the rest of it. Poor Nathaniel, Major Scott and his little troop brought me here to Crown Point with the supplies; but here Nathaniel himself must stay, for he couldn’t disobey his orders.

“But I, too, have orders that must be obeyed. My aunt has ordered me to go to Albany. Therefore I wished to proceed to Albany with Major Scott, his men and the supplies. But Major Scott made a misfortune for your poor brother Nathaniel and a comedy for me. He turned out to be a very strange man—so strange that he made love to me; and it happened that most of his men had found something to drink.”

She looked at me almost inquiringly, I thought. When I was silent, she continued, “Major Scott said many things to me that were too polite, and having something to drink himself besides, showed no regard for the state of affairs supposed to exist between Nathaniel and me. Therefore Nathaniel and I both decided it would be better for me to remain upon his wretched hands a trifle longer, and wait for a more trustworthy escort to Albany. It happens that since Major Scott and his men went through to Albany, we haven’t seen anybody else going that way who appeared to be of a kind to entrust with my precious person. There, that’s all, and I’m hungry.”