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426 making an appearance of indulging in an evening's recreation in company with two Federal officers, while so many thousand Confederates were enduring so much, but consoled myself with the reflection that I was not doing this for mere pleasure, but was engaged in the performance of an important task, which might be greatly promoted through my acquaintance with these men. Finally, to my great relief and satisfaction, the play came to an end, and the curtain dropped for the last time.

As we passed out, the general proposed that we should go to the Grand Hotel and have some supper. I did not care to do this, but thought it best to accept the invitation. We had a really superb repast—one of the finest I had ever sat down to; and as I was hungry, I ate quite heartily. In the way of drinkables, I confined myself to lemonade, but the gentlemen took wine. The general, who was quite fond of his toddy, drank rather more than was good for him, and soon became very talkative and a trifle noisy. He was one of those men, however, who never forget to be gentlemen, and he neither said nor did anything offensive. Finally, he began spinning some long yarn, during which Baker took an opportunity to whisper to me that he would probably want to see me in the morning. I nodded assent, although my fears began to rise a little, but I hoped that instead of demanding a different account of my doings from that which I had already given him, the colonel would give me my commission for a trip to the West.

After we had finished our supper, we returned to the Kirkwood, where I bade them good night, at about a quarter before twelve, at the drawing-room door ; and as soon as they were gone, hastened to my own room to obtain the rest of which I stood in so much need, for I was tired out with the fatigues of travel and the excitement and anxieties of the day.

The next morning, just as I was sitting down to breakfast, the waiter brought me a note from Colonel Baker, in which he stated that he would call to see me at the hotel about half past ten o'clock, and requested me to await him at that hour. Still being uncertain whether Baker's intentions towards me were amicable or not, it was not without some trepidation