It
has already been urged to us, by one or two of our critical
friends to whom we have submitted what has been thus far
written in our tale, that, to explain satisfactorily and
consistently the extreme severity of the governor, some
secret and personally influencing motive must be assigned;
but to these we have intimated, what we now repeat,--namely,
that we hope to bear out our story, by natural explanation
and simple deduction. Who Frank Halloway really was, or
what the connection existing between him and the mysterious
enemy of the family of De Haldimar, the sequel of our
narrative will show; but whatever its nature, and however
well founded the apprehension of the governor of the
formidable being hitherto known as the warrior of the
Fleur de lis, and however strong his conviction that the
devoted Halloway and his enemy were in secret
correspondence, certain it is, that, to the very hour of
the death of the former, he knew him as no other than
the simple private soldier.
To have ascribed to Colonel de Haldimar motives that
would have induced his eagerly seeking the condemnation
of an innocent man, either to gratify a thirst of vengeance,
or to secure immunity against personal danger, would have
been to have painted him, not only as a villain, but a
coward.
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