“Well? And what if it is, Harriet? There is nought of harm in it?” Peggy spoke calmly hoping to soothe her cousin by her manner. “Peggy!” Harriet clasped her arms about her convulsively. “Promise me that you will not tell that I asked you to give it to him!” “But,” began Peggy. “Promise, promise,” cried Harriet feverishly. “I promise, Harriet,” said Peggy, hoping to quiet her. “Peggy” called Mrs. Owen’s voice at this moment, “thee must make haste. The aide is waiting.” “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.”