Rosa blushed, Jack felt foolish, and everybody laughed except Dick, who looked unutterable things at his adored, and boldly entered the lists against the great personage by asking, in a quivering treble: 

“Doesn’t the Bible say that the wife shall cleave to the husband; that his people shall be her people, his God her God, where he goes she goes?”

“It is so said in the Bible, sir; but it was a woman that uttered it, and she was in love.  When you know more of the sex, you will understand that women in love are like poets; they say much that they don’t mean, and more that they don’t understand.”

“But, Mr. President, what the one woman said in the Bible all women practice.  You never knew a woman that didn’t believe her husband’s beliefs, hate his hates, love his loves.”

Davis smiled, and his eyes twinkled kindly on his boyish inquisitor.

“I know only one woman.  That is as much as a man can speak for.  She doesn’t hate my hates, love my loves, or enter unprotestingly into all my ways.  Indeed, I may say that, being a peaceful man, I wanted to remain in Washington, for I believed that Seward was sincere in pleading for a compromise; but the woman I speak of had her own opinion convinced me that she was right, and I came to my own people.”

At this moment there was a diversion.  A soldier, booted and spurred, entered the room, walked to the head of the table, and bending deferentially to the President, said;

“I am ordered to deliver this message wherever you may be found.”  He handed Davis a large envelope and retreated respectfully two or three paces backward.  Everybody affected to resume conversation as the President, breaking the seal, said;

“Pardon me a moment, madam.”  But he had no sooner ran over the lines than he turned to the courier, crying, in visible discomfiture: 

“When did you leave the war office?”

“At five o’clock, sir.”

“General, we must return instantly to Richmond; a hundred or more of the prisoners have broken out of Libby!  It is reported that a column of the enemy with gunboats have passed up the James.—­Madam, this is one of the exigencies of a time of war.  I needn’t say to an Atterbury that everything must give way to public business!” He called Lee aside, spoke rapidly to him, and the latter, beckoning Vincent, left the room.  He returned in ten minutes, announcing that everything was in readiness to set out.  The carriage with Mrs. Sprague’s and Merry’s small luggage was ready when the cavalcade set out, Davis riding with them and the cavalry company from below, divided into squadrons before and behind the carriage.  It was eleven o’clock as the last dark line of the troop disappeared.  Olympia and Jack stood at the great gate in mournful silence.  The swiftness of the parting had lessened the pain, but their minds were full of the sorrow that follows the inevitable.  Mrs. Sprague had herself declined to postpone the ordeal when Mrs. Atterbury pointed out the untimely hour.  No, it was better to suffer this slight inconvenience to have Vincent’s protecting presence all the way to the Union lines; and Jack, acknowledging this, didn’t say a word to dissuade her.  Vincent’s last act was to call Jack to his room.