"
The minister stood erect, with grave composure, following with his eyes,
in a kind of scornful pity, the retiring females, and suffered the
expostulation of the youth to be given, as if unworthy of his notice. A
third voice, however, spoke,--
"Such a denunciation would have driven many women into fits; but it has
answered the purpose well enough, as it is."
"Who's that?" cried the prisoner, in amazement, gazing around the room
in quest of the speaker.
"It is I, Captain Wharton," said Harvey Birch, removing the spectacles,
and exhibiting his piercing eyes, shining under a pair of
false eyebrows.
"Good heavens--Harvey!"
"Silence!" said the peddler, solemnly. "'Tis a name not to be mentioned,
and least of all here, within the heart of the American army." Birch
paused and gazed around him for a moment, with an emotion exceeding the
base passion of fear, and then continued in a gloomy tone, "There are a
thousand halters in that very name, and little hope would there be left
me of another escape, should I be again taken. This is a fearful venture
that I am making; but I could not sleep in quiet, and know that an
innocent man was about to die the death of a dog, when I might
save him."
"No," said Henry, with a glow of generous feeling on his cheek, "if the
risk to yourself be so heavy, retire as you came, and leave me to my
fate.
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