CHAPTER XI
THE CONFESSION THAT CLEARED
As the two men left the room the orderly entered it once more andannounced to the general that a lady was below who asked the privilegeof an interview with him.
"Lady? What lady?" demanded Beauregard, impatiently.
He was in no mood for feminine society after the difficult interview inwhich he had just participated.
"I think it is Miss Glen, sir. She says she must see you and--"
"Ah!" interrupted the general, hastily, as he recollected the scene onthe wharf the night before, when Fanny Glen had fainted at the newsthat the boat was gone and that Lacy had gone with it. "Show her inhere at once, orderly."
He had intended to seek her in her house in the course of the morningand break the melancholy news to her that the torpedo boat was lost inall probability with all on board, for from her agitation on the wharfhe inferred that her affections were bestowed upon Lacy. He was verysorry for her, of course; but knowing Lacy as he had, and estimatingFanny Glen as he did, there was a certain sense of relief that shewould not be condemned to a lifetime of misery which such a marriagewould inevitably have entailed. Still he pitied her profoundly, and hepitied her more when she came into the private office in the wake ofthe orderly and threw back her veil. Her beautiful face showed thesorrow under which she labored. Suffering had thrown a blight upon it.The freshness and youth seemed to have departed from it. She was apiteous little spectacle indeed.
The general received her with the utmost cordiality and consideration.He handed her to a chair, and bade the orderly see that they were notdisturbed on any account.
"Miss Fanny," he began gently--the war had brought the general and thebrave girl very close together--"I was coming over to see you in alittle while. You have shown yourself a brave little woman many times.You need all your courage now."
"Yes, General," said the girl, faintly, "I know."
"You have sustained a terrible loss."
"Is--is--Mr. Sempland--?"
"He is well enough at present. I refer to your friend, Major Lacy."
"Is he--?"
"I am sorry to say that in all probability he has lost his life in thetorpedo boat. We can get no tidings of her or of any of her crew. Shemust have sunk with the ship."
"Did they succeed, sir?" interrupted Fanny Glen with an anxiety and anapprehension too great to be controlled.
"They did," returned Beauregard, somewhat surprised at her question,"but the torpedo boat, I think, went down with the ship she blew up; atany rate no one has seen her or any of her crew since the explosion. Iknew that it was almost certain death to them."
Fanny Glen sank back in the chair. She almost lost consciousness in heragony. She murmured strange and incoherent words. The general did notunderstand them, but he rose, came to her side, bent over her and tookher hand, patting it softly.
"I know, I know, my dear child," he said gently, "how you must suffer.Many another woman has had to give up her heart's desire for ourbeloved country. Think of the service he rendered, to you and to all ofus! Think of his noble sacrifice, his death! Cherish his memory and beproud that he loved you and that you loved him. Few women have donemore for the South than you, and there is still much to do. Work willassuage your grief," continued the general, laying his hand tenderlyupon the bowed head. "You will always have the deathless memory of hisheroism."
"Oh!" cried the woman, throwing back her head, "you are wrong. You donot know, you do not understand. I honored Major Lacy, I rejoiced inhis courage, but I did not love him. It is not he that I think of. Itis my father."
"Your father? What do you mean?"
"Admiral Vernon."
"What!"
"Yes, he is my father. My name is Fanny Glen Vernon."
"Good heavens! It cannot be possible."
"It is true. My mother was a Southern woman, one of the Glens ofHalifax--"
"I knew her!" exclaimed Beauregard.
"She died when I was a child, and I was brought up by her sister. Myfather--I did not see much of him. He was a sailor, and after mymother's death he sought constantly to be in active service. When thewar broke out he said he must stand by the old flag. I strove topersuade him differently. It was horrible to me, to think that a son ofSouth Carolina, and my father, would fight against her. There was aquarrel between us. I told my father I would not acknowledge him anylonger. I repudiated the Vernon name and came here and worked for theSouth, as you know. When I learned yesterday that you were going toblow up the _Wabash_--"
"But my dear child," interrupted the general, quickly, "we didn't blowup the _Wabash_."
"But you said that Major Lacy had succeeded!" said the girl in greatbewilderment.
"He did. The _Wabash_ and _Housatonic_ exchanged places during thenight, and the latter was sunk. The _Wabash_ is all right. For yoursake, my dear Miss Fanny, I say thank God for the mistake."
"Then my father is safe?"
"He is. Some Yankees we captured this morning say that he is to berelieved of his command and ordered North on a sick leave. He will nolonger be in danger from us, you see."
"Thank God, thank God!" cried the girl, and the relief in her voice andface seemed to make another woman of her. "It was wrong, I know. It wastreason to the South--I love the South--but I strove to prevent--"
"Ah!" exclaimed Beauregard. "I have it now! Sempland--"
"Oh, sir!" cried the girl, "where is he?"
"He is preparing," continued Beauregard, coolly--he had the clew to themystery and he determined to follow it to the end--"to be tried by acourt-martial--"
"By a court-martial, General Beauregard! For what, sir?"
"For disobedience of orders and neglect of duty, in the face of theenemy. And I am in two minds whether to these charges should be addedcowardice and treason or not!"
"Impossible!" exclaimed Fanny Glen.
"Miss Glen, it is an absolute fact. He came to me yesterday afternoonand volunteered for the command of the expedition. Begged for it, infact. Major Lacy reluctantly but generously yielded to him with myconsent."
"It was for me he sought it," said the girl, full of reproach forherself. "I had mocked him for his lack of distinction, sir, before hesaw you. He hazarded his life for my approval and for the cause of theSouth."
A fuller light broke upon the general's mind. He understood all now,yet he went on pitilessly.
"After getting command in this peculiar way he failed to presenthimself on the wharf at the appointed time. We waited ten minutes forhim, as long as we dared, in fact, and then as you know, sent the boatout under Major Lacy."
"He was detained," said the girl, faintly.
"So he said when I arrested him last night, and he repeated thestatement this morning. I pressed him to tell me by whom and where hehad been detained, but he refused to tell. I plied him with everyargument at my command. I pointed out to him the consequences of hisaction, his failure to justify himself, that is, showed him clearly thepenalty which the court-martial would undoubtedly inflict upon him--"
"That is?"
"Death, madam! He will probably be shot to-morrow, for his guilt isclear."
The girl's head fell forward in her hands. There was a little silencein the room. The general watched her narrowly, but said nothingfurther. He was waiting, in full confidence that she would speak. Hecould afford to be patient now.