“But thy despatches? Thee just told me they must be delivered. Thee must go on.”
“No,” he replied with set lips.
“’Tis thy duty,” she said imploringly.
“I know, but I’m not going to leave you to the mercy of those fiends,” he cried.
“John, thee must not fail. See! they are gaining. Go, go! Does thee remember that thee will be suspected until thee is tried?”
“I know,” he said doggedly, “but I won’t leave you.”
“For thy country’s sake,” she entreated. “Oh, John, I can’t have thee fail because of me. Think of that poor vidette. Is thee going to do less than he? ’Tis thy duty.”
“Peggy, don’t ask it,” he pleaded.
“Thee is less than soldier if thee doesn’t do thy duty,” she cried, quick to see her advantage. “John Drayton, I will never trust thee again if thee fails in thy duty now.”
The two young people gazed at each other through the dust of the road, the girl with earnest entreaty, determined to keep the lad to his duty in spite of himself, and the youth torn by his fear for her and his loyalty.