"But Daisy!" she said suddenly - "the other army -
Beauregard's - they will be here directly to take Washington,
if all this is true; and it must be true; or that soldier
would not have been out there in the rain. They will be coming
here directly, Daisy. And, bless me! how wicked I am! You are
standing there, patient and pale, and you have had no
breakfast. Come here and let me give you some coffee. Grant
said he would be down to dinner perhaps; and how angry he
would be."
We drank cups of coffee, but I do not think either of us broke
bread.
That was a weary day. All the day long new groups were forming
and dispersing in the street, telling and talking over the
news; groups of all sorts. Soldiers discoursing to audiences
like the one in the morning; knots of officers; twos and
threes of business men; debating, inquiring, discussing; all
under the dark rain, all with downcast faces and dispirited
bearing. Late in the day Major Fairbairn called. He somewhat
reassured us. The carnage was not so great; the loss not so
tremendous, as we had at first been told; the damage done not
so absolutely overwhelming.
"Then you do not think Beauregard will come and take
Washington?" Mrs. Sandford asked.
"I don't know!" the major said, with a smile. "He must be
quick about it, or it will be too late."
"But is this a final settling of the question, Major
Fairbairn?" I inquired. "That is what I want to know."
"We have been whipped," he said, looking at me.
"Yes, I know; but the North - will they take this as a
settlement of the question?"
"The North!" echoed the Major. "Will they give up, you mean?
Not just yet! The Government does not feel like it. Do you?"
"I am so ignorant -" I answered.
"You must be, - pardon my saying so. Not at all. The sting of
the whip will make us move faster. Orders are issued already
for the reinforcement and reorganisation of the army. General
McClellan is to take command here; and we will get things upon
a new basis."
"Is McClellan the man we want?" Mrs. Sandford inquired.
"I cannot say. If he is not, we will wait for another."
"You are very cool, Major Fairbairn!" said the lady.
"It is the best plan, in July."
"But it is very hard to keep cool."
The major smiled and looked at me.
"What has Patterson been doing all this while?" I asked.
Smiles died out of the major's face.
"He has kept cool," he said. "Easy - when a man never was
warm."
"And you think, major," said Mrs. Sandford, "you really think
that the truth is not so bad as it has been reported. Why, Mr.
May was positive the rebels would come and take Washington.
You think there has not been such dreadful loss of life after
all?".