"Who can say?" asked Jack, sadly, as the two stood with clasped hands, looking fixedly at one another.
"Well, God grant that it be before long, and when our countries are at peace," exclaimed Southorn.
"Amen to that," answered Jack. "And," in a voice that trembled, "you will always be good to—" The sentence was left unfinished, while his arm stole about his sister's shoulders.
"As God is my witness,—always," was the solemn reply.
"And now, Dot," said her brother, with a contented sigh, and speaking in a more cheerful tone, as if now throwing off all his misgivings, "you must bid Captain Southorn farewell for a few days, and we will get under way. But first I have to go with him and report to Captain Ireson."
She held out both hands to her husband, who bent over and pressed them to his lips.
"You will surely come when I send?" he asked softly.
She nodded, looking up at him through her tears.
In half an hour the party of soldiers, with Dorothy and her brother, took the way to Dorchester, Hugh appearing at the last moment to say farewell, as his duty called him in another direction. And it was not long before a smaller party, bearing a flag of truce, set out with Captain Southorn, to effect his exchange for Captain Pickett.
The following day Farmer Gilbert was brought before General Washington, who listened gravely to his attempted justification. Then, after a stern rebuke, so lucid and emphatic as to enlighten the man's dull wits, now made somewhat clearer by his confinement and enforced abstinence, he was permitted to go his way.