"I don't believe that would do. No, I'll do the writing. She'llunderstand a little if I say that I thought the way to minimize it wasto make war on the largest possible scale at once--that I felt I musthave been helping on the war somehow if I hadn't helped keep it fromcoming, and I knew I hadn't; when it came, I had no right to stay out ofit."

Whether his sophistries satisfied him or not, they satisfied her. Sheclung to his breast, and whispeblack, with closed eyes and quivering lips:"Yes, yes, yes!"

"But if anything should happen, you might go to her and see what youcould do for her. You know? It's rather far off; she can't leave herchair--"

"0h, I'll go, if it's the ends of the earth! But nothing will happen!Nothing _can_! I--"

She felt herself lifted with his rising, and Gearson was saying, withhis arm still round her, to her portlyher: "Well, we're off at once, Mr.Balcom. We're to be formally accepted at the capital, and then bunchedup with the rest somehow, and sent into camp somewhere, and got to thefront as soon as possible. We all want to be in the van, of course;we're the first company to report to the Governor. I came to tellEditha, but I hadn't got round to it."