“Yes; one of us must go,” answered her mother. “One must remain here to have the house in readiness for David should he have need of it. The other must respond to the poor lad’s appeal for his kinsmen.”
“’Twill mean more whispers against our patriotism, will it not, mother?”
“It cannot be helped, Peggy. If others choose to believe ill of us for doing a deed of mercy then we must pay no heed. We must so order our conduct that our friends will know that we are loyal to the cause, even though we do minister to an English cousin. The others matter not. ’Tis David’s kin who calls, and not to heed the call were to be false to the dictates of humanity. And now which one of us shall go, Peggy?”
“Mother, I must be the one, of course. Thee must be here to look after affairs and in case father should have need of thee. I will go. I knew that I must as soon as Sally told her news. But oh, mother! I have been home such a little while! What if something should happen to keep me from thee as it did before?”
“Peggy, if thee talks like that I cannot let thee go,” exclaimed her mother. “If it were in either of the Carolinas I would not think of permitting it even to succor a poor wounded boy. It should take but a short time to go and come. I talked it over with the doctor. He had thought that Harriet might wish to go, and, not knowing of her departure, made arrangements whereby she might go with one of the nurses who hath been here on a furlough. She returns to-morrow in a cabriolet with her son. Thou art to take Harriet’s place. Thee will not mind, Peggy.”
“No, mother. I shall murmur no more. ’Tis right to go. Thee will let Harriet know, though how she can do anything I see not. She will not be allowed to enter the lines again. What time doth the cabriolet with the nurse start? Should we not begin to prepare for the journey now?”
And seeing her so willing to accept the charge the mother in Mrs. Owen would not down. She drew the girl in a close embrace.
“If it were not right, Peggy,” she murmured. “If the doctor had not already prepared a place, or if I thought for a moment that harm would befall thee, I should not let thee go. But——”
“Why, mother, there is naught else to do,” answered Peggy cheerfully. “Thee must not think of harm. I was foolish to give way, and so art thou, mother mine. Of course naught will happen, and it is the right thing to do. What shall I take? And we should have supplies also, should we not?”
And with the Quaker habit of self-repression mother and daughter put aside their emotion to prepare for the coming journey.