I must decline or accept without explaining.

“You seem to hesitate, Berwick,” said the general; “what is wrong?”

Brought thus face to face with decision, I could hesitate no longer; “I should like to confer with Dr. Khayme, General,” I said.

He looked surprised.  “What has Dr. Khayme to do with this?” he asked; then, in a milder tone, he said, “I have no objection, however; Dr. Khayme will help rather than hinder.”

“The Doctor is my best friend,” I said; “and he is much wiser than I am; if I should undertake the duty you outline, he would, as you say, General, help rather than hinder; he can be a very great help.”

“We have little time to spare, Berwick.  How long do you want with Dr. Khayme?”

“Did you expect me to begin work to-night, General?”

“Yes; you ought to be within their lines by daylight.”

“And what is the time now?”

“Ten o’clock.”

“Can you wait my answer an hour?”

“What do you mean by your answer?” he said.

The question and the tone were not to my taste.  If I was being treated as a party to a possible agreement, well and good; if not—­if the general was merely commanding me to obey him, well and good—­I would obey without further delay or hesitation.

I rose and saluted.  “General,” I said, “if you order me to go into the enemy’s lines, I shall go.  If you are asking me to go into the enemy’s lines, I inquire, in my turn, whether you can wait my answer an hour.”

“Sit down, Berwick,” said the general.

I obeyed.  It was not strange that he should wish no unpleasantness.  Though scouts are under orders just as other men are, it is not hard to understand that generals feel it necessary to be somewhat delicate in their treatment of such peculiar servants.  I suppose that, in the mind of a general, there always exists some fear that his spies will not prove as diligent and self-sacrificing as they could be.  I had not, in my treatment of General Morell, intentionally played upon this fear:  such a course would have been contemptible; yet I could see at once the effect of my speech, and I endeavoured to set myself right in his mind.

“Perhaps, General,” said I; “perhaps I have presumed too much upon the apparent nature of our former relations; if so, I beg to apologize.  Give me a plain, direct order and I will try to obey it, and without mental reservation.”

“But, Berwick, my good fellow, you know as well as I do that any order to a scout can only be of the most general nature; and you know, too, that an unwilling scout is no scout at all.”

“Then, to be plain with you, General, I should greatly prefer that you send some other man on this expedition.”

“Berwick,” said he, “you are the best man available for this present work.”

“Then order me to go, General.”

“No,” said he; “I’ll humour you.  Go to Dr. Khayme and return in one hour if possible—­and no hard feelings,” he added, giving me his hand.