“Oh, yes, yes!”
Colonel Eastworth began to plead the cause of Secession with all the arguments by which astute leaders influence the opinions of people. These arguments are too familiar to all to need repetition here. But they made no impression on the mind of Erminie Rosenthal. She was not to be deceived by sophistry or persuaded by eloquence, or even won over by love. “Her eye was single, and her whole soul was full of light.”
Hour after hour slipped away while he argued, persuaded and implored Erminie to unite her fate with his own, and accompany him to Virginia. And Erminie suffered, wept, but remained steadfast to her principles.
At length, as the time approached for his departure and found her unmoved, he became angry, and gave way to cruel reproaches.
“You have deceived me, Miss Rosenthal. You have played the part of a heartless coquette. You do not love me and you have never done so.”
“Oh, Eastworth, I love you more than life! Heaven truly knows I do!” she said, through her sobs.
“Words, words, words! You can talk of love glibly enough. No doubt you could write what school misses would call ‘sweet verses’ on the theme; but you cannot feel it, Erminie.”
“Oh, Eastworth, I would sacrifice my life to save you if I could. Heaven truly knows that I would!”
“Words, words, words again! All that is easily said. You would sacrifice your life to save me. It is very safe to promise that, since no such sacrifice can possibly be required of you. You will sacrifice your life, which nobody asks you to do, but you will not go with me when I leave this place a fugitive—you will not go with me, though I implore you to do it.”
“It is because it would be wrong for me to do so, and I dare not do wrong.”