"Yes, mother," answered Peggy and there was no further opportunity for conversation. To her surprise Harriet recovered her spirits at once and when they reached headquarters was quite herself.
""Twas most kind of you, Lady Washington, to have us again so soon," she cried gaily as Mrs. Washington received them in the wide hall of the dwelling.
"It is we who are honored," said the lady graciously. "I am quite cross with Mr. Washington because he insists that he must see you first. He wishes to have some talk with you before the dinner is served. No, Billy," as William Lee, General Washington"s body-servant, came forward to show the maidens up-stairs. "It will give me great pleasure to help the young ladies myself with their wraps. We are all very proud of our English co-patriot. "Twas a great thing for you to do, my dear," she added leading the way up the winding staircase. "It must have taken an effort on your part to go against your own people, and shows very plainly that your sympathy with the cause is sincere."
"Thank you, madam," murmured Harriet in some confusion. "But, but Peggy here--"
""Tis no more than we expect from Peggy," said the matron, giving Peggy such a gentle pat on the shoulder that Peggy"s heart grew warm and tender. "Her views are so well known that nothing she could do for us would surprise us. That is why we say so little of her share in the matter." And she gave Peggy another caressing touch.
Why, of course that was it, Peggy told herself with a flash of understanding. How foolish she had been to care, or to have any feeling on the subject at all. It was a great thing for Harriet to do. And so thinking she felt her heart grow very tender toward her cousin who had suddenly lost her animation and was pale and silent as they came down the stairs, and were ushered into the commander-in-chief"s office.
General Washington was sitting before a large mahogany table whose well polished top was almost covered by papers. He rose as the girls entered.
"Mrs. Washington has hardly forgiven me for taking you away from her,"
he remarked smilingly. "I have promised that I will detain you but a few moments. Miss Harriet, your head will be quite turned before you will have finished with the toasting and feasting. But "twas bravely done!
You both showed rare judgment and courage in acting as you did. It saved a valiant man from capture and perhaps the slaughter of an entire brigade."
"Your Excellency is very kind," stammered Harriet while Peggy murmured a "Thank thee, sir."
"Mr. Hamilton, will you kindly place chairs for the ladies?" spoke the general to a slight young man who came forward from the fireplace near which he had been standing. "Nay," in response to an inquiring glance, "you are not to stay, sir. Mrs. Washington will gladden you later by an introduction." Then as the young man left the room he added with a slight smile, "I have to be stern with the blades when there are ladies about, else they would have time for no other engagements. And now tell me, I beg, all about this affair. How came it that ye were riding upon that road?"
"I asked Peggy to go there," spoke Harriet quickly; "you see, sir," with charming candor, "Governor Livingston is a great friend of Cousin David"s, and came to see him but the other day. He told us a great deal of Liberty Hall, and how he had planted hundreds of trees which he had imported from France and England, until I was curious anent the place.
Cousin David, or Ensign Drayton, usually rides with us, but Wednesday both were on duty; so, as Cousin David said that there was no danger so long as we kept within the lines, Peggy and I went for our ride alone. I know not how it came about; but perhaps "twas because the governor had talked about his home, but we found ourselves all at once upon the turnpike going toward Elizabethtown. Presently Fleetwood, being a swifter nag than Star, became restive at our slow pace and to take the edge off him I dashed ahead for a little canter. While I was gone Peggy found the letter and when I came back there she was reading it. It did not take us long to decide what to do, and-but the rest you know, sir,"
she ended abruptly.
"Yes; I know the rest," he said musingly. "And so you were not there when Miss Peggy found the note?"
"No," she answered him. "I must have been a mile away. Don"t you think so, Peggy?"
"I do not know how far it was," replied Peggy thoughtfully, "but thee was not with me, Harriet."
"Where did you find it, Miss Peggy?" asked the general turning to her.
"You must see that it proves that there is a spy amongst us, and the place where "twas found may aid somewhat to his capture. Tell me as nearly as possible where you found it."
"Does thee remember where three pines stand together at a bend in the pike about ten miles from Elizabethtown?" she asked. Then as he nodded a.s.sent she continued: "It was just in front of those pines, Friend Washington, that it was lying. I caught sight of it and thought some one had lost a letter, and so dismounted and picked it up. Then Harriet returned and-and we had some talk." Peggy was so candid that she found it hard to gloss over the conversation with her cousin, but she went on after a pause so slight as not to be noticeable. ""Twas deemed best to ride direct to the governor"s house, and Harriet"s Fleetwood being swifter than my Star, reached the Hall first."
"It could not have lain long," he said, selecting the missive from among a pile of papers. "The road was muddy and the paper is scarcely soiled.
Then, too, there was a wind blowing, and "twould have been taken up from the road had it been there long. According to this the person who dropped it must have been so short a distance ahead of you that you could not have failed to see him."
"There were but we two on the road, sir," spoke Harriet, although the question was directed to Peggy. "We neither met any one, Your Excellency, nor did we see any one until we reached Liberty Hall."
"That being the case," he said rising, "I will no longer risk Mrs.
Washington"s disfavor by keeping you from her. Permit me to thank you both and particularly Miss Harriet for the judgment you showed. You did the only thing that could be done, and "tis rare indeed that maidens so young show such thought. I hope that you will both pleasure us frequently with your presence."
He opened the door for them with stately courtliness. Curtseying deeply the maidens reached the threshold just as a group of soldiers bustled unceremoniously into the hall, and blocked the exit.
"A spy, Your Excellency," cried an orderly, excitedly saluting.
The soldiers drew apart as the orderly spoke and from their midst came John Drayton leading the very private soldier to whom Peggy had given Harriet"s note.
"Your Excellency," said the ensign saluting, "I caught this fellow just as he was stealing from the lines. He had a most incriminating note upon his person. His actions for some time have been most suspicious, and--"
"Sir," spoke General Washington gravely, "do you not see that there are ladies present? Let them pa.s.s, I beg of you. Such things are not of a nature for gentle ears to hear."
As he spoke the eyes of the prisoner rested upon the maidens. He gave a short cry as he saw them, and sprang forward.
"If I did have a note, Your Excellency," he cried, "there stands the girl who gave it to me."
"Where?" asked the general sternly.
"There!" said the man pointing to Peggy. "That girl gave me the letter Tuesday afternoon."
CHAPTER XX-A REGRETTED PROMISE
"Not for counsel are we met, But to secure our arms from treachery, O"erthrow and stifle base conspiracies, Involve in his own toils our false ally--"
-"Count Julian," Walter Savage Landor.
For one long moment there was a silence so tense that the breathing of those present was plainly audible. Peggy had become very pale, but she met the searching glance which General Washington bent upon her steadily.
"Did you ever give him a note, letter, or communication of any kind?" he asked at length.
"Yes," she answered. "I gave him a letter to send through the lines a few days since. It was Third Day afternoon, as he hath said."
"You?" cried John Drayton springing toward her, and there was anguish and incredulity in his voice. "You? Oh, Peggy!"
"Yes," she said again clearly. "Has thee the letter, John? Give it to the general. He will see that there was naught of harm intended."
But Drayton shrank back and covered his face with his hands.
"Have you the missive, ensign?" demanded the commander gravely. "If so let me see it."
"She, she doth not know-- It cannot be. Oh, sir, do not look at the letter, I beseech you," uttered young Drayton brokenly.
"The letter, Drayton." There was no mistaking the command in the tone.
The boy drew the letter from his sword belt, and handed it to the general.
"There is some mistake," he said, and Peggy was surprised to see that his eyes were wet. "Sir, I entreat--"
"Take your prisoner to the outer room, ensign," ordered the chief after reading the note. "Meantime, may I ask that all of you will leave me with the exception of this girl?" He indicated Peggy as he finished speaking.
Silently the men filed out, but Harriet lingered, her eyes fixed upon Peggy with so much of appeal that the latter tried to smile rea.s.suringly.
"You must go too, Miss Harriet," he said, and Harriet was forced to leave the room.