Poor Captain Lige!  He had some notion of the multitude of calls upon Mr. Lincoln, especially at that time.  But he could not, he dared not, remind her of the principal reason for this,—­Lee’s surrender and the approaching end of the war.  And then the Captain had never seen Mr. Lincoln.  In the distant valley of the Mississippi he had only heard of the President very conflicting things.  He had heard him criticised and reviled and praised, just as is every man who goes to the White House, be he saint or sinner.  And, during an administration, no man at a distance may come at a President’s true character and worth.  The Captain had seen Lincoln caricatured vilely.  And again he had read and heard the pleasant anecdotes of which Virginia had spoken, until he did not know what to believe.

As for Virginia, he knew her partisanship to, and undying love for, the South; he knew the class prejudice which was bound to assert itself, and he had seen enough in the girl’s demeanor to fear that she was going to demand rather than implore.  She did not come of a race that was wont to bend the knee.

“Well, well,” he said despairingly, “you must eat some breakfast first, Jinny.”

She waited with an ominous calmness until it was brought in, and then she took a part of a roll and some coffee.

“This won’t do,” exclaimed the Captain.  “Why, why, that won’t get you halfway to Mr. Lincoln.”

She shook her head, half smiling.

“You must eat enough, Lige,” she said.

He was finished in an incredibly short time, and amid the protestations of Lizbeth and the yellow butler they got into the carriage again, and splashed and rattled toward the White House.  Once Virginia glanced out, and catching sight of the bedraggled flags on the houses in honor of Lee’s surrender, a look of pain crossed her face.  The Captain could not repress a note of warning.

“Jinny,” said he, “I have an idea that you’ll find the President a good deal of a man.  Now if you’re allowed to see him, don’t get him mad, Jinny, whatever you do.”

Virginia stared straight ahead.

“If he is something of a man, Lige, he will not lose his temper with a woman.”

Captain Lige subsided.  And just then they came in sight of the house of the Presidents, with its beautiful portico and its broad wings.  And they turned in under the dripping trees of the grounds.  A carriage with a black coachman and footman was ahead of them, and they saw two stately gentlemen descend from it and pass the guard at the door.  Then their turn came.  The Captain helped her out in his best manner, and gave some money to the driver.

“I reckon he needn’t wait for us this time, Jinny,” said be.  She shook her head and went in, he following, and they were directed to the anteroom of the President’s office on the second floor.  There were many people in the corridors, and one or two young officers in blue who stared at her.  She passed them with her head high.