At this juncture, Caroline Mitford turned from the room and joined old Martha in the hall, and disappeared. She had only come back with the General to punish Arrelsford, but she did not care to have her precious despatch made the subject of discussion before so many people.
"Stop him!" exclaimed the General. "What do you mean?"
It was evident that the despatch was not to go out then. Thorne had not succeeded in getting an answer to his signal. He left the key, rose, and saluted.
"He means me, sir," he said. "He's got an idea some despatch I'm sending out is a trick of the Yankees."
"It is a conspiracy!" cried Arrelsford. "He is an impostor----"
"Why, the man must have gone crazy, General," said Thorne coolly, holding his position by the table and listening with all his ears for the return signal.
"I came here on a case for----" expostulated Arrelsford.
"Wait!" said General Randolph. "I will soon get at the bottom of this. What was he doing when you came in, Sergeant?" he asked of the non-commissioned officer in charge of the guard.
"He was firing on the Captain, sir," answered the Sergeant saluting.
"He was sending out a false order to weaken our lines at Cemetery Hill, and I--ah--Miss Varney, she was here. She saw it all," explained Arrelsford.
"She came to see for herself whether this man was guilty or not; whether he was a spy or a traitor."
"Is this some personal matter of yours, Mr. Arrelsford?" asked the General suspiciously.
"He was a visitor at her house and I wanted her to know."
"Where is she now? Where is Miss Varney?" asked Randolph impatiently.
"She must be out there on the balcony," answered Arrelsford. "I beg you to send for her, sir."
"Sergeant," said General Randolph, "step out on the balcony. Present my compliments to Miss Varney, and ask her to come in at once."
"There is no one there, sir," he replied saluting.
At that instant Thorne got the long desired signal. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned to the key. He picked up the despatch with his wounded left hand and with the other began to manipulate the sounder.
"She must be there," said Arrelsford, "or else she's stepped into the next room, the Commissary General's Office, the window was open, tell him to--ah!" as the sound of the clicking caught his ear, "Stop him! He is sending it now!"