He would not be alone either; there must be
more along with him; I daresay we are spied upon this minute. Ay,
no doubt, the letter should be opened; but somehow, not by you nor
me."
I was about thus far with it, and my spirit very much overcome with
a sense of danger and hidden enemies, when I spied Alan, come back
again from following James and walking by himself among the sand-
hills. He was in his soldier's coat, of course, and mighty fine;
but I could not avoid to shudder when I thought how little that
jacket would avail him, if he were once caught and flung in a
skiff, and carried on board of the Seahorse, a deserter, a rebel,
and now a condemned murderer.
"There," said I, "there is the man that has the best right to open
it: or not, as he thinks fit."
With which I called upon his name, and we both stood up to be a
mark for him.
"If it is so--if it be more disgrace--will you can bear it?" she
asked, looking upon me with a burning eye.
"I was asked something of the same question when I had seen you but
the once," said I. "What do you think I answered? That if I liked
you as I thought I did--and O, but I like you better!--I would
marry you at his gallows' foot.
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