If she had any double meaning Westerling could not find it in her eyes.
"I am willing," said Hugo. "Indeed, I shall be very glad to have my side heard."
"Yes, let us see the letter," assented Westerling; for he, too, was curious.
When Hugo had given it to Westerling and he saw that it was not very long, he began reading aloud:
"'I've kept very well and cheerful and I'm cheerful now,'" the letter began. "'Please always think of me as cheerful. Everybody in our company has fought well; just as bravely as our forefathers did in the wars of their day.'"
"Which hardly agrees with your ideas," observed Westerling.
"Exactly, sir. Men should be brave for their convictions," answered Hugo. "And, as you said, the men of our province are loyal to the old ideas. They believe they ought to fight the Browns."
Then followed a brief, intimate, appealing story of how each of his dead comrades had fallen.
"'You can read these to their folks at home, if you want to. They might like to know.'"
Irresistibly there crept into Westerling's face at these recitals of soldierly courage the satisfaction of the commander with the spirit of his men. Here was proof of the valor of the units of his army.