But she said only a few words to him, and began again to watch the soldiers.  How many of these strong men would come back uncrippled?  And a good many would not come back at all.  But as she looked at them filing through the gangway, the sense of numbers, and of strength, swept back the possibilities of evil, and instead of the embarkation, she seemed to see before her the rush of the troops to the fortress, as Governor Shirley had planned it all, the splendid attack, the defense gallant though useless, the stormy entrance, and the English flag floating over the battlements of Louisburg.  The bloodshed and the agony were lost sight of, it was the vision of conquest and the thought of the royal colors floating over the stronghold of French America that flushed her cheek and kindled her eyes.

Archdale watching her felt like holding his breath, lest in some way he should disturb her and lose this glimpse of character.  She was looking out to sea.  He felt sure that, although she had just smiled and bowed she had already forgotten him again.  It was nothing connected with himself that had brought such a look to her face.  But here were some of the possibilities of this noble girl, Katie’s friend.  Sweeping his glance further on as he stood there, he had reason to feel that Elizabeth was much more deeply interested in the expedition than Katie was.  The latter had given him her farewell in her uncle’s house, to be sure.  But now she seemed to have quite forgotten that he might never come back.  Any public exhibition of sentiment would have been as distasteful to him as to her, but he had expected a little gravity.  He thought as he stood there that perhaps he had been uncourteous in not going to say farewell to Elizabeth to whom he was so much indebted.  But it was the consciousness of this that had prevented him.  He could not bear to see her until he had returned that money put into the Archdale firm under a mistaken supposition; for not only was Elizabeth not his wife, but Katie for whom she assured him that she had done this, might never be.  He looked at his betrothed again in the crowd, and something like scorn came into his face, a scorn that stung himself more deeply than its unconscious object.

As to this money of Elizabeth’s, he had not yet been able to make his father return it.  The Colonel had declared that he could pay a better per cent. than she could get elsewhere, and would do it.  He had assured Mr. Royal of this, and the latter seemed content.  But Stephen looking back to Elizabeth again, could not keep from thinking about the money and wishing that it were out of his hands.  Yet, with this undercurrent of thought, he at the same time was seeing in her face a beauty that possibly did not wholly vanish with her mood, but lay half hidden behind reserve, and waited the touch of the power that could call it forth.

Edmonson’s voice, speaking to one of the officers, reached him at the moment.  Elizabeth moved her head.  Instinctively he watched to see if she turned toward the speaker.  No, it was toward himself that she was looking with a smile of farewell.  He bowed eagerly, decidedly, for by this time the troops had all embarked, the plank was up, and he was free for the moment.