assure him he hath only to come back and fulfill
his promise and all will be peace--if thou carest to do a good work,
this will be one."

Rachel Morgan rose, and looked so steadily, so sternly at Primrose Henry
that she felt a shrinking all over her.

"Thou wilt do this," she said. "It seems as if thou hadst cared a little
for Aunt Lois and thy dead father's brother, and if thou hast any love
thou wilt try to restore peace."

"I will tell him what thou sayest," in a weak tone as if she was hardly
persuaded.

Rachel caught her hand, which was soft as a rose leaf, and wrung it in
hers until she could have cried with pain.

"Nay, not in that cold way. Thou hast the eyes and the tongue to move
whomever thou wilt, and he set strange store by thee. Men often yield to
a honeyed voice. Coax him, convince him it is his duty. Otherwise their
sorrow and, perhaps, their death may be on his hands, and neither wilt
thou be altogether free. That was my errand and the Lord gave me
strength to come, though women do not generally plead for their
lovers."

"I will try," Primrose said, much moved.

But she sat by herself after Rachel had left her, thinking the matter
over with a curious protest that she did not understand. Why should she
shrink from his marrying Rachel? She had seen many lovers through the
winter, and Anabella had poured into her ears a great deal of
foolish-sounding flattery, and delight on her part, that had caused
Primrose much wonder. And now her gay captain had followed the fortunes
of Sir Henry Clinton, and she was in despair, though he had promised to
return.

But she asked Madam Wetherill what she ought to do. The lady gave an odd
little smile.

"You must tell him, since you have consented. But it will not change his
intentions. His enlisting was no sudden notion, if he was forced into it
by circumstances. I wonder at Mistress Rachel making this appeal."

"Do you think he ought to marry her?" Primrose asked timidly.

"That is a question for him to answer, my child."

But Madam Wetherill knew if he had been in love with Rachel he would
have made some overtures himself.

Primrose studied the subject within her heart and was quite grave over
it. For two days they did not see him and on the third a messenger came
with a note.

The permission to join Washington had arrived suddenly and they were to
march at once. It was the present plan of the Commander in Chief to
invest New York and pen up the Brit