"To be sure not. How quaint you are to ask that again! Would I have you to do wrong?"
The preparations were finally completed. Robed in dark waterproof garments Jeanne took the basket given her by her father and, accompanied by Feliciane, a mulatto woman, set forth, again upon a mission. But this time the girl was downcast in spirit, and had not the lofty exaltation of an approving conscience.
The two walked in silence through the dark streets of the city. The woman glided swiftly along as if accustomed to the journey, making many devious windings and turnings. Jeanne"s progress was slower and the mulatto often had to pause to wait until she could catch up with her.
"Missy be keerful hyar," whispered the woman, when at length the outskirts of the city were reached. "Keep close ter de trees."
Jeanne obeyed. The sentinel"s lonely figure could scarcely be discerned in the darkness. Unconscious of their proximity the man was singing softly to himself as he patrolled his post steadily. To the girl it seemed as though her heart beats must betray their presence. The black touched her hand gently and, as the guard turned to retrace his steps, they glided silently past him, and were lost in the darkness. The skiff was found, and the strong steady strokes of the woman soon pulled them out upon the waters of Lake Ponchartrain.
"We got by all right, lill" missy, didn"t we?" chuckled she.
"Yes," a.s.sented Jeanne. "Is it far, Feliciane?"
"A long way," was the response. "We won"t git back "tel de mohnin"."
"Until morning?" echoed Jeanne in dismay. "Will we have to be out in this rain all that time?"
"Yes, honey. It"s bes" fer it ter rain. De Yanks can"t see yer den. Missus she laikes fer it ter rain when she go."
"Does she ever go?" asked Jeanne sitting up very straight. "I thought that she was afraid to go."
"De Madame ain"t "fraid ob nuffin," was the emphatic reply. "She usen ter go often. She done carried heaps ob things ter de rebs."
"But it has been because of her brother, Feliciane," said Jeanne, gently trying not to condemn her aunt too severely.
"Huh brudder? What brudder? She ain"t got no brudder. What you talkin"
"bout?"
"Oh, Feliciane, aren"t we carrying food and medicine to her poor wounded brother, Auguste?"
"What makes you think dat, chile? Ma.s.sa Auguste killed long time ago when de wah fust beginned. "Couhse we ain"t takin" things ter huh brudder.
We"s carryin" news ter de Ma.s.sa Gin"ral dat de Yanks gwine ter "tack him."
"Then," said Jeanne bitterly. "I have been fooled. I will give no aid to the enemy. Turn this boat back, Feliciane."
"Not ef I knows myself, honey. I done want no whoppin". Madame Vance sent me, an" I"se gwine ter do what she say. What"d yer k.u.m fer ef yer didn"t want ter holpe dem?"
"Because I did not know what I was doing. Madame told me it was to take food to her wounded brother."
"She"s a great one fer pullin" de wool ober de eyes," chuckled the negress. "Missus k.u.m nigh gittin" ketched de las" time she k.u.mmed, so den she sent you."
"Oh!" Jeanne sat very still, her heart heavy with what she had heard.
Truthful herself, the knowledge that her aunt could stoop to such duplicity filled her with anguish. Her eyes were fast opening to the fact that the sweetness of the lady and her honeyed words masked a cruel, treacherous nature, and unaccustomed as she was to deceit of any sort she was weighed down by the discovery.
"Feliciane," she said coaxingly. "I will give you more money than you ever had in all your life before if you will turn this boat back."
"No, missy. Yer can"t hiah me ter do nuffin ob dat kine," came the relentless tones of the darky. "Feliciane knows what"s good fer huh, an"
she"s gwine ter do it."
"Well, my basket shall not go at any rate," cried Jeanne and she caught it up to throw it overboard. But the darky seized her arm in a strong grip and took the basket from her.
"Be quiet, missy," she said, "er I"ll hab ter settle yer. An" missus won"t keer nuther. She done laik yer nohow."
Jeanne could do nothing in the woman"s powerful clasp, and was compelled to relinquish her hold on the basket. Placing it behind her the negress took the oars again and resumed her rowing. Silence fell between the two and steadily they drew nearer to the farther sh.o.r.e. At last after what seemed hours to Jeanne the keel of the boat grated upon the sand and the woman sprang out and drew the skiff upon the bank.
"Come," she said to Jeanne and the girl mechanically followed her.
"Halt! who goes there?" came the challenge.
"A frien"," responded Feliciane. "Done yer know me, sah?"
"Feliciane," exclaimed a voice joyfully. "You are a jewel. Have you anything for us? Who is with you?"
"Yes, sah; heah in dis basket missus sent. It"s all erbout a "tack what de Yanks is a-gwine ter make on you folks. Missus k.u.m moughty nigh bein"
kotched de las" time, an" so she sent de lill" missy with me."
"Well, here are some letters. You won"t be more than able to get back by daylight. Are you too tired to make it to-night, Feliciane?"
"No, sah. Missus "spects me ter do it."
"Well, good-bye. Thank your mistress for us, and tell her the boys in gray will soon drive the Yankees out of the city, and she won"t have this to do much longer."
"I"ll tell huh, sah."
Jeanne still silent went back to the boat. Every hope that she had held that there was really a wounded brother of Madame"s had died during the interview, and the lady was meeting with that fierce arraignment in the mind of the girl that youth always gives when for the first time the mask of hypocrisy is torn from a loved face.
The dawn was streaking the gray sky with crimson when they reached the city again. The rain had ceased and the stormy night was to be succeeded by a fair day. Jeanne"s face showed white and stern in the gray of the morning as she walked slowly by the black"s side. Her lips were compressed together in a straight line for she had determined that Madame Vance should render an account of her duplicity to her.
Presently Feliciane uttered an exclamation of alarm, and thrust the package that the rebel had given her into Jeanne"s hands.
"Run, missy, run," she cried. "De Yanks am a-k.u.min"."
Involuntarily the girl quickened her steps, but she had gone but a short distance when she was caught by the shoulder, and brought to a standstill.
"You are under arrest," said the gruff voice of a soldier. "Give me that package you have."
CHAPTER XV
BEFORE GENERAL BUTLER AGAIN
Jeanne handed the package to the soldier without a word. The man took it and then said in a harsh manner:
"Follow me. It seems to me that you are beginning mighty young."