to them both, and my heart aches when I think
that soon, perhaps, they will no more belong to me. But I must sacrifice
even my pride and love to a stern sense of duty. So Washington did, when
he hurled his armed squadrons against the proud banner of St. George,
under which he had been trained in soldiership, and had won the laurel
of his early fame. He, too, no doubt, was not without a pang, to be
sundered from his share of Old England's glorious memories, the land of
his allegiance, the king whom he had served, the soil where the bones of
his ancestors lay at rest. It would cause me many a throb of agony to
draw my sword against the standard of the Republic--but I would do it,
Harold, if my conscience bade me, although my nearest friends, although
you, Harold--and I love you dearly--were in the foremost rank."

"Where I will strive to be, should my country call upon me. But Heaven
forbid that we should meet thus, Beverly!"

"Heaven forbid?" he replied, with a sigh, as he pressed Harold's hand.
"But yonder comes little Phil, running like mad, to tell us, doubtless,
that breakfast is cold with waiting for us."

They retraced their steps, and found Miss Randolph and Oriana awaiting
their presence at the breakfast-table.

CHAPTER VIII.

During the four succeeding days, the house hold at Riverside manor were
much alarmed for Arthur's safety, for a violent fever had ensued, and,
to judge from the physician's evasive answers, the event was doubtful.
The family were unremitting in their attentions, and Oriana, quietly,
but with her characteristic self-will, insisted upon fulfilling her
share of the duties of a nurse. And no hand more gently smoothed the
sick man's pillow or administered more tenderly the cooling draught. It
seemed that Arthur's sleep was calmer when her form was bending over
him, and even when his thoughts were wandering and his eyes were
restless with delirium, they turned to welcome her as she took her
accustomed seat. Once, while she watched there alone in the twilight,
the open book unheeded in her hand, and her subdued eyes bent
thoughtfully upon his face as he slept unconscious of her presence, she
saw the white lips move and heard the murmur of the low, musical voice.
Her fair head was bent to catch the words--they were the words of
delirium or of dreams, but they brought a blush to her cheek. And yet
she bent her head still lower and listened, until her forehead rested on
the pillow, and