"
"Well," said Mr. X-----, quietly, "you followed her!"
"Yes, sir. On leaving you, after making her pretended report of affairs
in Washington, she got into her carriage, and the driver started
rapidly, going up Capitol and Grace streets. I followed on foot, and
had to run--but I am used to that, sir. The carriage stopped at a house
in the upper part of the city--a Mr. Blocque's; the lady got out,
telling the driver to wait, and went into the house, where she staid
for about half an hour. She then came out--I was in the shadow of a
tree, not ten yards from the spot, and as she got into the carriage, I
could see that she held in her hand a letter. As the driver closed the
door, she said, 'Take me to the flag-of-truce bureau, on Ninth Street,
next door to the war office.' The driver mounted his box, and set
off--and crossing the street, I commenced running to get a-head. In
this I succeeded, and reached the bureau five minutes before the
carriage.
"Well, sir, I hastened up stairs, and went into the bureau, where three
or four clerks were examining the letters left to be sent by the
flag-of-truce boat to-morrow. They were laughing and jesting as they
read aloud the odd letters from the Libby and other prisons--some of
which, I assure you, were very amusing, sir--when the lady's footsteps
were heard upon the stairs, and she came in, smiling.
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