he full force of his cavalry on your lines,
to turn our right and circle Richmond."

Stuart's body stiffened.

"I'm ready, sir. He may reach Yellow Tavern. He'll never go past it."

In low, tense words Lee said:

"I'm depending on you, sir."

Stuart saluted in silence.

Lee turned back into the group and Taylor explained:

"I have called an informal meeting at the request of Senator Rives."

Lee smiled.

"Oh, I see. A council of both War and State."

Rives came forward and the Commander grasped his hand.

"Always glad to see _you_, Senator. What can we do for you?"

"Everything, sir. Can we enter at once into our conference?"

"The quicker the better. General Grant may drop in on us at any moment
without an invitation."

Rives smiled wanly.

"General Lee, we face the gravest crisis of the war."

"No argument is needed to convince me of that, sir. Grant's men have
gripped us with a ferocity never known before."

"And our boys," Alexander added, "in all the struggle have never been
such stark fighters as to-day."

"I agree with you," Lee nodded. "But Grant is getting ready to fight
again to-morrow morning--not next month. His policy is new, and it's
clear. He plans to pound us to death in a series of quick, successive
blows. His man power is exhaustless. We can't afford to lose many men.
He can. An endless blue line is streaming to the front."

"And that's why I'm here to-night, General," Rives said gravely.

"Grant is now in supreme command of all the Armies of the Union. While
he moves on Richmond, Butler is sweeping up the James and Sherman is
pressing on Atlanta. We have lost ten thousand men in two-days' battle.
In the next we'll lose ten thousand more. In the next ten thousand
more--"

"We must fight, sir. I have invaded the North twice. But I stand on the
defense now. I have no choice."

"That remains to be seen, General Lee," Rives said with a piercing look.

"What do you mean?"

"A few days ago, your old friend, Francis Preston Blair, entered our
lines and came to Richmond on a mission of peace. He has now before Mr.
Davis and his Cabinet a plan to end the war. He proposes that we stop
fighting, unite and invade Mexico to defend the Monroe Doctrine.
Maximilian of Austria has just been proclaimed Emperor in a conspiracy
backed by Napoleon. The suggestion is that we join armies under your
command, dethrone Maximilian, push the soldiers of Napoleon into the
sea, and restore the rule of