it back again;—take a burdened man’s blessing for it, you tiny creature, who are carrying the weight of England while I rest!”

“Did you love her very, very, very much?”

“Ah, you shall judge by this: she commanded and I obeyed!”

“I think you are lovely! Will you kiss me?”

“Thankfully—and hold it a privilege, too. There—this one is for you; and there—this one is for her. You made it a request; and you could have made it a command, for you are representing her, and what you command I must obey.”

The child clapped her hands with delight at the idea of this grand promotion—then her ear caught an approaching sound: the measured tramp of marching men.

“Soldiers!—soldiers, Lord General! Abby wants to see them!”

“You shall, dear; but wait a moment, I have a commission for you.”

An officer entered and bowed low, saying, “They are come, your Highness,” bowed again, and retired.

The Head of the Nation gave Abby three little disks of sealing-wax: two white, and one a ruddy red—for this one’s mission was to deliver death to the Colonel who should get it.

“Oh, what a lovely red one! Are they for me?”

“No, dear; they are for others. Lift the corner of that curtain, there, which hides an open door; pass through, and you will see three men standing in a row, with their backs toward you and their hands behind their backs—so—each with one hand open, like a cup. Into each of the open hands drop one of those things, then come back to me.”

Abby disappeared behind the curtain, and the Protector was alone. He said, reverently: “Of a surety that good thought came to me in my perplexity from Him who is an ever present help to them that are in doubt and seek His aid. He knoweth where the choice should fall, and has sent His sinless messenger to do His will. Another would err, but He cannot err. Wonderful are His ways, and wise—blessed be His holy Name!”

The small fairy dropped the curtain behind her and stood for a moment conning with alert curiosity the appointments of the chamber of doom, and the rigid figures of the soldiery and the prisoners; then her face lighted merrily, and she said to herself: “Why, one of them is papa! I know his back. He shall have the prettiest one!” She tripped gayly forward and dropped the disks into the open hands, then peeped around under her father’s arm and lifted her laughing face and cried out:

“Papa! papa! look what you’ve got. I gave it to you!”

He glanced at the fatal gift, then sunk to his knees and gathered his innocent little executioner to his breast in an agony of love and pity. Soldiers, officers, released prisoners, all stood paralyzed, for a moment, at the vastness of this tragedy, then the pitiful scene smote their hearts, their eyes filled, and they wept unashamed. There was deep and reverent silence during some minutes, then the officer of the guard moved reluctantly forward and touched his prisoner on the shoulder, saying, gently:

“It grieves me, sir, but my duty commands.”

“Commands what?” said the child.