“Mamma,” said Edith, “won’t you speak to him, too?”
Mrs. Varney approached him, but Wilfred was quicker.
“I would like to shake hands with you,” he said, with boyish enthusiasm.
“What, again?” said Thorne, smiling. “All right.” He stretched out his hand. “Go ahead.”
“And so would I,” said Caroline, following the lead of her boy lover.
“Don’t be afraid now,” said Wilfred. “Everything will be all right. They will give you a parole, and——”
“A parole!” said Caroline. “Goodness gracious, they will give you hundreds of them, I am sure.”
But General Randolph turned once more.
“One moment, please,” said the officer. As he came forward, the others fell back. Only Edith Varney kept her place close by Thorne’s side. “There is only one reason on earth why the President has set aside a certain verdict of death. You held up that false order and made a turn in our favor. You are not to be tried as a spy, but held as a prisoner of war. We expect you to make that turn complete and enter our service.”
“Never,” replied Thorne instantly. “That’s impossible, sir.”