“Soldiering is merely the application of force by intelligence, and I am, for all my faults, intelligent. I also believe that every man needs to discover an activity at which he can excel and it is a constant regret that I have never found mine. I can write a fair prose, it is true, and I am no mean flautist, but those are common enough accomplishments. No, I need to discover an endeavor in which I can demonstrate mastery. Till now I have been too cautious.”

“I dearly hope that you will go on being cautious,” Priscilla said sternly.

“I have no wish to make you a widow.” Bird smiled. He could see his wife was unhappy, so he sat her down and poured her some wine into an inadequate unstemmed glass. “But you should not worry,” he told her, “as I daresay it will all prove to be a dreadful fuss about nothing. I can’t imagine there’ll be any serious fighting. There’ll just be a deal of posturing and boasting and much ado about not very much and at summer’s end we’ll all march home and brag about our bravery, and things won’t be a whole lot different than they are now, but, my darling, for those of us who don’t join the farce the future will be very bleak.”

“How so?”

“Because our neighbors will judge us cowards if we refuse to join. We’re like men bidden to a dance who cannot abide dancing and who don’t even much like music, but who must caper nimbly if we are to sit down to supper afterward.”

“You’re frightened of Washington sending you a petticoat?” Priscilla asked the pertinent question in a humble voice.

“I’m frightened,” Bird said honestly, “of not being good enough for you.”

“I don’t need a war to show me your goodness.”

“But it seems you have one anyway, and your ancient husband shall astonish you with his capabilities. I shall prove to be a Galahad, a Roland, a George Washington! No, why be so modest? I shall be an Alexander!” Bird had made his new wife laugh with his bravado, and then he kissed her and afterward he placed the glass of wine into her hand and made her drink. “I shall be your hero,” he said.

“I’m frightened,” Priscilla Bird said, and her husband did not know whether she spoke of what this night promised or what the whole summer held in store, so he just held her hand, and kissed it, and promised that all would be well. While in the dark the rain beat on.

It Began To Rain As...