"I've never had the wish to be other than good," he replied lovingly. As soon as she was alone, Dorothy removed her hat, and then, as she stood by the hearth, watching the leaping flames, smoothed out her curls. So engaged, and lost in thought, she did not hear the tapping upon the door, nor see that it opened softly and a man's figure paused on the threshold, as if watching the slight form standing by the fire, with the back turned squarely to him. "Little one," came in a voice that startled the silence. She turned like a flash, and although the firelight did not touch his face, it was not needed to tell her who it was. He closed the door, and advanced with outstretched arms, laughing with exultation when she fled to them. "You are still of the same mind as when we parted?" he said, while he held her as if never meaning to let her go from him again. "How can you ask?" And she nestled yet closer to him. His only answer was to kiss her. Then, bringing a chair to the hearth, he seated himself, and attempted to draw her upon his knee. But she frustrated this by perching herself upon the arm of the chair, from which she looked triumphantly into his face. "Your hands are cold, little one," he said, holding them against his cheek. "We had a long ride," she replied, her eyes drooping before the intensity of his gaze. "Aye, so you did; are you tired?" "No, not at all," was her smiling answer, and her appearance did not belie the words. "Hungry?"--with a little laugh, and tightening the clasp of his arm about her. "No," again lifting her eyes to his happy face. "Well, I have been hungry for days, and with a hunger that is now being happily appeased. But a supper is to be ready for you shortly, and then you are to see General Washington. Do you understand, sweetheart, what all this is about?" He was looking down at the small hands resting in one of his own, and smiling as he noted with a lover's eye how dainty and white they were. "Yes," she said, "my brother explained all that to me." "And you will come with me--now, at once, as soon as I can make my arrangements?" He spoke hurriedly, nervously. "To England?" she asked, a very serious look now showing in her dark eyes. "Aye, to England," he repeated in a tone whose firmness was contradicted by his perturbed face. Disengaging one hand, her arm stole around his neck as she whispered, "I would go to the ends of the earth with you now." He held her head away, the better to look into her face, as he said with a sigh of contentment: "Now I can breathe easy! You see I did not dare believe you would really come,--you've ever been such a capricious little rebel."