"And you give me up so easily—your own brother?" with a pathetic upbraiding in his tone.
"Only a half-brother! And the Tory half I can't like. The other, the Henry half——"
"Well——" studying her mischievous, dancing eyes.
"I like that—a little," demurely.
"I shall be patient, sweet darling. I have come to love you dearly—your mother's half, and your father's half."
She glanced up with her warm, frank heart shining in her eyes, and he kissed her fondly.
"When thou lovest me well I shall know it by one sign: thou wilt kiss me of thy own accord."
She had to steel her heart hard when he adopted the old phraseology, and smiled in that beseeching manner.
"We shall not be converted, little Primrose," said Polly Wharton. "I shall think of Allin at Valley Forge, and thou of thy splendid Quaker cousin that so adroitly escaped the snare set for him. And we shall twist the festivities about. When they drink to the King and the redcoat army, we shall say to ourselves, 'Washington and the buff and blue.' And when we dance, for there will be your brother and young Vane and Captain Fordham, so we are sure of three partners, and as we whirl around we shall say to ourselves 'Hurrah for the flag of the thirteen colonies!'"
"It looks quite patriotic that way," answered Primrose archly.