ts rights and its
natural independence. You have behaved like Albion; do not be astonished
that Edmee behaves like Philadelphia. She will not yield, except on
condition of a glorious peace, and she is right."

He wished to know how she had treated me during the two years we had
been in America. I showed him the few short letters I had received from
her. He was struck by the good sense and perfect integrity which seemed
manifested in their lofty tone and manly precision. In them Edmee had
made me no promise, nor had she even encouraged me by holding out any
direct hopes; but she had displayed a lively desire for my return, and
had spoken of the happiness we should all enjoy when, as we sat around
the fire, I should while away the evenings at the chateau with accounts
of my wonderful adventures; and she had not hesitated to tell me that,
together with her father, I was the one object of her solicitude
in life. Yet, in spite of this never-failing tenderness, a terrible
suspicion harassed me. In these short letters from my cousin, as in
those from her father and in the long, florid and affectionate epistles
from the Abbe Aubert, they never gave me any news of the events which
might be, and ought to be, taking place in the family. Each spoke of
his or her own self and never mentioned the others; or at most they
only spoke of the chevalier's attacks of the gout. It was as though an
agreement had been made between the three that none should talk about
the occupations and state of mind of the other two.

"Shed light and ease my mind on this matter if you can," I said to
Arthur. "There are moments when I fancy that Edmee must be married, and
that they have agreed not to inform me until I return, and what is to
prevent this, in fact? Is it probable that she likes me enough to live
a life of solitude out of love for me, when this very love, in obedience
to the dictation of a cold reason and an austere conscience, can resign
itself to seeing my absence indefinitely prolonged with the war? I have
duties to perform here, no doubt; honour demands that I should defend my
flag until the day of the triumph or the irreparable defeat of the cause
I serve; but I feel that Edmee is dearer to me than these empty honours,
and that to see her but one hour sooner I would leave my name to the
ridicule or the curses of the world."

"This last thought," replied Arthur, with a smile, "is suggested to you
by the violence of your passion; but you wo