ong our own soldiers--with but twenty stout
hearts still true and faithful to their trust--our alternative is
between surrender and death on the one hand, and flight and future
vengeance on the other. Can you longer hesitate between the two? But
see, the sky grows brighter toward the east, and the morning comes to
increase the perils of the night. I beseech you, by my loyalty and my
devotion to your interest, decide quickly and wisely."

"I will go," replied Berkeley, after a brief pause, in a voice choking
with emotion. "But God is my witness, that if I only were concerned,
rebellion should learn that there was a loyalist who held his sacred
trust so near his heart, that it could only be yielded with his
life-blood. But why should I thus boast? Do with me as you please--I
will go."

No sooner was Berkeley's final decision known, than the whole palace was
in a state of preparation. Hurriedly putting up such necessaries as
would be needed in their temporary exile, the loyalists were soon ready
for their sudden departure. Lady Frances, stately as ever, remained
perhaps rather longer before her mirror, in the arrangement of her tire,
than was consistent with their hasty flight. Virginia Temple scarcely
devoted a moment for her own preparations, so constantly was her
assistance required by her mother, who bustled about from trunk to
trunk, in a perfect agony of haste--found she had locked up her mantle,
which was in the very bottom of an immense trunk, and finally, when she
had put her spectacles and keys in her pocket, declared that they were
lost, and required Virginia to search in every hole and corner of the
room for them. But with all these delays--ever incident to ladies, and
old ones especially, when starting on a journey--the little party were
at length announced to be ready for their "moonlight flitting." Sadly
and silently they left the palace to darkness and solitude, and
proceeded towards the river. At the bottom of the garden, which ran down
to the banks of the river, were two large boats, belonging to the
Governor, and which were often used in pleasure excursions. In these the
fugitives embarked, and under the muscular efforts of the strong
oarsmen, the richly freighted boats scudded rapidly through the water
towards the good ship "Adam and Eve," which lay at a considerable
distance from the shore, to avoid the guns of the insurgents.

Alfred Bernard had the good fortune to have the fair Virginia under his