“I like her least of all!”      

       “From instinct?”      

       “If you choose.”      

       “I think your instinct misleads you this time, general.”      

       “I think not.”      

       “Well, we will see.”      

       And we did see.     

       In two hours the head-quarters tents were pitched upon Fleetwood Hill beyond Brandy, and Stuart sent his provost marshal to Culpeper Court-House, with orders to conduct the prisoner taken by Mohun on the preceding night, to General Lee, for examination.     

       An hour afterward the worthy provost returned in hot haste with the astounding information that the fair lady was nowhere to be found. She had disappeared from her chamber, none knew how, before daylight, and as a notoriously suspected individual who had lately been hanging round the tavern had disappeared too, it was probable that they had gone off together. Upon this point, a note left by the lady directed to “General Stuart” would probably give information. This had been found upon her table. And the provost wound up by handing the note to Stuart.     

       He read it with an air of decided ill-humor. Then throwing it upon his desk, burst into a laugh.     

       “Well, Surry,” he said, “who is right and who is wrong, now? Read that!”      

       And he pointed to the note, which I opened and read. It was in a delicate female hand, and ran as follows:—     

       “General Stuart will pardon the attempt his captive is about to make, to effect her escape. He made himself quite charming in their brief interview, but liberty is sweet. Finding a friend unexpectedly in this quarter of the world, I have made every arrangement with him; he is a great master of disguises, and, though the travelling costume which I shall adopt will make me look hideous, I hope it will enable me, before sunrise, to pass a private ford, known to my friend alone, and 

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