“Miss Anna,” said the soldier again, “I’ve come—­I’ve come to tell you something.  It’s mighty hard to tell.  It’s harder than I thought it would be.  For, honestly, Miss Anna, you—­from the first time I ever saw you, you—­you—­Were you going to speak?”

Behind the screen Flora smiled malignly while Anna said, “No, I—­I was only—­no, not at all; go on.”

“Yes, Miss Anna, from the first time I—­”

“When did you get back from Mobile?” asked Anna seeing he must be headed off.

“From Mobile?  Just now, almost.  You don’t sup—­”

“Oh!  I hope”—­she must head him off again—­“I hope you bring good news?” There was risk in the question, but where was there safety?  At her back the concealed listener waited keenly for the reply.

“Yes,” said Hilary, “news the very best and hardly an hour old.  Didn’t you hear the battery cheering?  That’s what I’ve come to tell you.  Though it’s hard to tell, for I—­”

“It’s from Mobile, you say?”

“No, I can tell you the Mobile news first, but it’s bad.  Miss Flora’s home—­”

Anna gave a start and with a hand half upthrown said quietly, “Don’t tell me.  No, please, don’t, I don’t want to hear it.  I can’t explain, but I—­I—­” Tears wet her lashes, and her hands strove with each other.  “I don’t like bad news.  You should have taken it straight to Flora.  Oh, I wish you’d do that now, won’t you—­please?”

Behind the screen the hidden one stiffened where she crouched with fierce brow and fixed eyes.

Kincaid spoke:  “Would you have me pass you by with my good news to go first to her with the bad?”

“Oh, Captain Kincaid, yes, yes!  Do it yet.  Go, do it now.  And tell her the good news too!”

“Tell her the good first and then stab her with the bad?”

“Oh, tell her the bad first.  Do her that honor.  She has earned it.  She’ll bear the worst like the heroine she is—­the heroine and patriot.  She’s bearing it so now!”

“What! she knows already?”

In her hiding Flora’s intent face faintly smiled a malevolence that would have startled even the grandam who still killed time out among the roses with her juniors.

“Yes,” replied Anna, “she knows already.”

“Knows!  Miss Anna—­that her home is in ashes?”

Anna gave a wilder start:  “Oh, no-o-oh!  Oh, yes—­oh, no—­oh, yes, yes!  Oh, Captain Kincaid, how could you?  Oh, monstrous, monstrous!” She made all possible commotion to hide any sound that might betray Flora, who had sprung to her feet, panting.

“But, but, Miss Anna!” protested Hilary.  “Why, Miss Anna—­”

“Oh, Captain Kincaid, how could you?”

“Why, you don’t for a moment imagine—?”

“Oh, it’s done, it’s done!  Go, tell her.  Go at once, Captain Kincaid.  Please go at once, won’t you?...  Please!”