"I wish they could see you," I said helplessly.
"And as I cannot be present to do my pleading in person, I
must trust you to plead for me."
"You forget," said I; "it is against you that you are a
Northern officer."
"That may depend upon the event of the war," he said; and I
saw a sparkle again. Wilful and manly as he could be; but he
did not know my father and mother. Yet that last word of his
might be true; what if it were? The end of the war! When might
that be? and how? If all the Northern army were Thorolds, -
but I knew they were not. I felt as if my magazine of words
was exhausted. I suppose then my face spoke for me. He
loosened his hold of one hand to put his arm round me and draw
me to him, with a fine tenderness, both reverent and
masterful.
"My Daisy" - he said, - "what do you want of me?"
And I could not tell him then. As little could I pretend to be
dignified. Pain was too sharp. We drew very close to each
other, and were very silent for those minutes. I would command
myself, and did, hard work as it was, and though my face lay
on his shoulder. I do not know how his face looked; when he
spoke again the tone was of the gravest tenderness.
"What do you want of me, Daisy?"
"I think, this," I said, raising my head and laying my hand on
his shoulder instead. "Suppose, Christian, you leave the
question undecided - the question of letters, I mean, - until
I get there, - to Switzerland, - and see my father and mother.
Perhaps I can judge then what will be safe to do; and if I can
write, you know I will write immediately."
"And if you cannot?"
"Then - I will write once, to let you know how it is."
He stood still, reading my face, until it was a little hard to
bear, and my eyes went down.
"Suppose your father and mother - suppose they are obdurate,
Daisy, and will not have me, being a Northern man and in the
Government service?"
What then? I could not say.
"Suppose it, Daisy."
"Well, Christian?" I said, raising my eyes to his face.
"What will you do?"
"You know, Christian, I must obey my father and mother."
"Even as I my other duty. Well, we are both soldiers. But what
would you do, Daisy?"
"Do? -" I repeated.
"Yes," he said very gravely, and with a certain determination
to have the answer.
"I should do nothing, Christian. I should be just the same."
But I believe my cheeks must have answered for me, for I felt
them grow pale.