Once he suggested to the surgeon that
he had better examine the pulse of his patient, for he did not wish to
overtask him in the investigation. The subject of the inquiry declared
that his headache had almost disappeared, and he needed no indulgence on
account of his health.
After half an hour of questioning, Corny was sent to the ward room, and
Christy was called to the captain's cabin. About the same questions were
put to him as to his cousin; but both of them were prompt in their
answers. In the last two years, Corny had been more at Bonnydale than
Christy, and he was quite as much at home there, so that there was no
reason why he should not be able to describe the mansion and its
surroundings as accurately as the genuine Lieutenant Passford.
So far, Corny, with the single exception of his failure to give the
geography of the estate, stood quite as well as his cousin. Then the
first lieutenant questioned them both, as they were seated at the table,
in a very general way. In their answers, Corny used the word "raised,"
while Christy was "brought up." Several phrases in more common use at
the South than at the North were noted in his answers, which did not
appear in the diction of Christy.
When the questioning was finished, the leaning of the trio of officers
was in favor of Christy; but not one of them said anything in the
presence of the two Passfords.
Pages:
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69