"What! the young chief of the Seminoles? our old playfellow, Powell? He is to be the subject of our discourse? You could not have chosen one more interesting to _me_. I could talk all day long about this brave fellow!"

I was struck dumb by her reply, and scarcely knew in what way to proceed.

"But what of him, brother George?" continued my sister, looking me more soberly in the face. "I hope no harm has befallen him?"

"None that I know of: the harm has fallen upon those nearer and dearer."

"I do not understand you, my mysterious brother."

"But you shall. I am about to put a question to you--answer me, and answer me truly, as you value my love and friendship."

"Your question, sir, without these insinuations. I can speak the truth, I fancy, without being scared by threats."

"Then speak it, Virginia. Tell me, is Powell--is Osceola--your lover?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Nay, Virginia, this is no laughing matter."

"By my faith, I think it is--a very capital joke--ha, ha, ha!"

"I want no trifling, Virginia; an answer."

"You shall get no answer to such an absurd question."

"It is not absurd. I have good reasons for putting it."

"Reasons--state them, pray!"

"You cannot deny that something has pa.s.sed between you? You cannot deny that you have given him a meeting, and in the forest too? Beware how you make answer, for I have the proofs. We encountered the chief on his return. We saw him at a distance. He shunned us--no wonder. We followed his trail--we saw the tracks of the pony--oh! you met: it was all clear enough."

"Ha, ha, ha! What a pair of keen trackers--you and your friend--astute fellows! You will be invaluable on the warpath. You will be promoted to be chief spies to the army. Ha, ha, ha! And so, this is the grand secret, is it? this accounts for the demure looks, and the odd-fashioned airs that have been puzzling me. My honour, eh? that was the care that was cankering you. By Diana! I have reason to be thankful for being blessed with such a chivalric brace of guardians.

"In England, the garden of beauty is kept By the dragon of prudery, placed within call; But so oft this unamiable dragon has slept, That the garden was carelessly watched after all.

"And so if, I have not the dragon prudery to guard me, I am to find a brace of dragons in my brother and his friend. Ha, ha, ha!"

"Virginia, you madden me--this is no answer. Did you meet Osceola?"

"I'll answer that directly: after such sharp espionage, denial would not avail me. I _did_ meet him."

"And for what purpose? Did you meet as lovers?"

"That question is impertinent; I won't answer _it_."

"Virginia! I implore you--"

"And cannot two people encounter each other in the woods, without being charged with love-making? Might we not have come together by chance? or might I not have had other business with the Seminole chief? You do not know all my secrets, nor do I intend you shall either."

"Oh, it was no chance encounter--it was an appointment--a love-meeting: you could have had no other affair with _him_."

"It is natural for you to think so--very natural, since I hear you practise such _duettos_ yourself. How long, may I ask, since you held your last _tete-a-tete_ with your own fair charmer--the lovely Maumee?

Eh! brother?"

I started as if stung. How could my sister have gained intelligence of this? Was she only guessing? and had chanced upon the truth?

For some moments I could not make reply, nor did I make any to her last interrogatory. I paid no heed to it, but, becoming excited, pressed my former inquiries with vehemence.

"Sister! I must have an explanation; I insist upon it--I demand it!"

"Demand! Ho! that is your tone, is it? That will scarcely serve you.

A moment ago, when you put yourself in the imploring att.i.tude, I had well-nigh taken pity on you, and told you all. But, _demand_, indeed!

I answer no demands; and to show you that I do not, I shall now go and shut myself in my room. So, my good fellow, you shall see no more of me for this day, nor to-morrow either, unless you come to your senses.

Good-by, Geordy--and _au revoir_, only on condition you behave yourself like a gentleman.

"A Yankee ship and a Yankee crew, Tally high ho, you know! Won't strike to the foe, etc, etc."

And with this catch pealing from her lips, she pa.s.sed across the parterre, entered the verandah, and disappeared within the doorway.

Disappointed, mortified, sad, I stood riveted to the spot, scarcely knowing in what direction to turn myself.

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

My sister kept her word. I saw no more of her for that day, nor until noon of the next. Then she came forth from her chamber in full riding costume, ordered White Fox to be saddled, and mounting, rode off alone.

I felt that I had no power over this capricious spirit. It was idle to attempt controlling it. She was beyond the dictation of fraternal authority--her own mistress--and evidently determined upon having her will and her way.

After the conversation of yesterday, I felt no inclination to interfere again. She was acquainted with my secret; and knowing this, any counsel from me would come with an ill grace, and be as ill received. I resolved, therefore, to withhold it, till some crisis should arrive that would render it more impressive.

For several days this coolness continued between us--at which my mother often wondered, but of which she received no explanation. Indeed, I fancied that even _her_ affection towards me was not so tender as it used to be. Perhaps I was wronging her. She was a little angry with me about the duel with Ringgold, the first intelligence of which had gravely affected her. On my return I had received her reproaches, for it was believed that I alone was to blame in bringing the affair about.

"Why had I acted so rudely towards Arens Ringgold? And all about nothing? A trumpery Indian belle? What mattered it to me what may have been said about the girl? Likely what was said was nothing more than the truth. I should have behaved with more prudence."

I perceived that my mother had been informed upon most of the material points connected with the affair. Of one, however, she was ignorant: she knew not who the "trumpery Indian belle" was--she had not heard the name of Maumee. Knowing her to be ignorant of this, I listened with more calmness to the aspersive remarks.

For all that, I was somewhat excited by her reproaches, and several times upon the point of declaring to her the true cause why I had called Ringgold to an account. For certain reasons I forbore. My mother would not have believed me.

As for Ringgold himself, I ascertained that a great change in his fortunes had lately taken place. His father was dead--had died in a fit of pa.s.sion, whilst in the act of chastising one of his slaves. A blood-vessel had burst, and he had fallen, as if by a judgment of G.o.d.

Arens, the only son, was now master of his vast, ill-gotten wealth--a plantation with some three hundred slaves upon it; and it was said that this had only made him more avaricious than ever.

His aim was--as it had been that of the older Ringgold--to become owner of everybody and everything around him--a grand money-despot. The son was a fit successor to the father.

He had played the invalid for a while--carrying his arm in a sling--and, as people said, not a little vain of having been engaged in a duel.

Those who understood how that affair had terminated, thought he had little reason to be proud of it.