“I will give it to him myself,” said Madame. “You may leave the room, Snowball. Master Dick and I want to have a little talk all by ourselves.”
“Yes’m,” acquiesced Snowball, but she lingered loth to leave Jeanne.
“At once,” commanded Madame sharply. “Why do you loiter when I tell you to go?”
“Yes’m; I’m a-gwine now,” and the girl left the room reluctantly.
“You feel much better, do you not, my boy?” and the lady stroked the lad’s hair gently.
“Yes, Cherie.”
“So well that we can have our little talk again? We will not be interrupted to-day as we were yesterday.”
“If you wish,” and it seemed to Jeanne that Dick spoke with great weariness. “But of what use is it? You have your views and I have mine. Why not let the subject drop when we cannot agree?”
“Because the old adage has it, ‘That constant dropping will wear away the hardest stone.’ By keeping continually at you I shall finally succeed in overcoming your scruples, and get your signature to the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.”
“Never!” exclaimed Dick with so much resolution that his sister’s heart swelled with thankfulness and pride. “Though you were to talk to me forever you could not change my principles.”