More than once he felt prompted to disturb the repose of
the peddler by taunts and revilings; but the discipline he
was under, and a secret sense of shame at the brutality of
the act, held him in subjection.
His meditations were, however, soon interrupted by the ap-
pearance of the washerwoman, who came staggering through
the door that communicated with the kitchen, muttering
execrations against the servants of the officers, who, by their
waggery, had disturbed her slumbers before the fire. The
sentinel understood enough of her maledictions to compre-
hend the case ; but all his efforts to enter into conversation
with the enraged woman were useless, and he suffered her
to enter her room without explaining that it contained an-
other inmate. The noise of her huge frame falling on the
bed was succeeded by a silence that was soon interrupted
by the renewed respiration of the peddler, and within a few
minutes Harvey continued to breathe aloud, as if no inter-
ruption had occurred. The relief arrived at this moment.
The sentinel, who felt nettled at the contempt of the peddler,
after communicating his orders, while he was retiring, ex-
claimed to his successor :

"You may keep yourself warm by dancing, John; the
peddler spy has tuned his fiddle, you hear, and it will not be
long before Betty will strike up, in her turn."



23© THE SPY,

The joke was followed by a general laugh from the party,
who marched on in the performance of their duty. At this
instant the door of the prison was opened, and Betty reap-
peared, staggering back again toward her former quarters.
