Betty slipped her arm tenderly around his shoulder and stroked the heavy black hair. "But you didn't know, dear--you wouldn't have fired that shot if you had----" He lifted himself suddenly and recovered his self-control. "No. That's just it," he answered bitterly. "I wouldn't have done it had I known--nor would he, had he known. But I should have seen before that every torn and mangled body I had counted in the reckoning of the glory of battle was some other man's brother, some other mother's boy----" He paused and drew himself suddenly erect: "Well I'm awake now--I know and see things as they are!" His hand unconsciously felt for his revolver, and Betty threw her arms around his neck with a smothered cry of horror: "Merciful God--John--my darling--you are mad--what are you going to do?" "Why nothing, dear," he protested, "nothing! I'm simply going to ask the President whose power is supreme to give my father a fair trial or release him--that's all--you needn't stay longer--the carriage is waiting. I can introduce myself and plead my own cause. If he's the fair, great-hearted man you believe, he'll see that justice is done----" "You are going to kill the President!" Betty gasped. "Nonsense--but if I were--what is the death of one man if thousands live? I saw sixty thousand men in blue fall in thirty days--two thousand a day--besides those who wore the grey. At Cold Harbor I saw ten thousand of my brethren fall in twenty minutes. Why should you gasp over the idea that one man may die whose death would stop this slaughter?" "John, you're mad!" she cried, clinging to him desperately. "You're mad, I tell you. You've lost your reason. Come with me, dear--come at once----" "No. I was never more sane than now," he answered firmly. "Then I'll warn the President----" He held her with cruel force: "You understand that if it's true, my arrest, court-martial and death follow?" "No. I'll warn him not to come. I alone know----" She broke his grip on her arm and started toward the door. He lifted his hand in quick commanding gesture: "Wait! my men are in that hall--it's his life or mine now. You can take your choice----" The girl's figure suddenly straightened: "Take your men out and go with them at once!" "No. If he does justice, I may spare his life. If he does not----" "You shall not see him----" "It's my life or his--I warn you----" "Then it's yours--I choose my country!" She walked with quick, firm step to the door leading into the family apartments of the President. On the threshold her feet faltered. She grasped the door facing, turned, and saw him standing with folded arms watching her--with the eyes of a madman. Her face went white. She lifted her hand to her heart and slowly stumbled back into his arms. "God have mercy!" she sobbed. "I'm just a woman--my love--my darling--I--I--can't--kill you----" Her arms relaxed and she would have fallen to the floor had he not caught the fainting form and carried her into the hall.