"
"Pardon me, my sister--my little Fanny," cried the repentant youth,
pressing her to his bosom, and kissing off the tears which had burst,
spite of her resolution, from her eyes.
"It is very foolish to regard your hasty words, I know," said Frances,
extricating herself from his arms, and raising her yet humid eyes to
his face with a smile; "but reproach from those we love is most severe,
Henry; particularly--where we--we think--we know"--her paleness
gradually gave place to the color of the rose, as she concluded in a low
voice, with her eyes directed to the carpet, "we are undeserving of it."
Miss Peyton moved from her own seat to the one next her niece, and,
kindly taking her hand, observed, "You should not suffer the impetuosity
of your brother to affect you so much; boys, you know, are proverbially
ungovernable."
"And, from my conduct, you might add cruel," said the captain, seating
himself on the other side of his sister. "But on the subject of the
death of Andre we are all of us uncommonly sensitive. You did not know
him: he was all that was brave--that was accomplished--that was
estimable." Frances smiled faintly, and shook her head, but made no
reply. Her brother, observing the marks of incredulity in her
countenance, continued, "You doubt it, and justify his death?"
"I do not doubt his worth," replied the maid, mildly, "nor his being
deserving of a more happy fate; but I cannot doubt the propriety of
Washington's conduct.
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