They heard meanwhile that General Lee had gone to a former camp of his on
the Opequan, but that later in response to maneuvers by General Meade,
he moved to a position near Front Royal. No orders came for Harry or
Dalton to rejoin him, and, as a period of inactivity seemed to be at hand,
they were glad to remain a while longer in Richmond. They still stayed
with the Lanhams, who refused to take any pay, although the two young
officers, chipping together, bought for Mrs. Lanham a little watch which
had just come through the blockade from England.
Thus their days lengthened in Richmond, and, despite the shadow of the
spy and his doings which was over Harry, they were still very pleasant.
The members of the Mosaic Club, although older men, made much of them,
and Harry and Dalton, being youths of sprighty wit, were able to hold
their own in such company. The time had now passed into August, and they
sat one afternoon in the lobby of the big hotel with their new friends.
Richmond without was quiet and blazing in the sun. Harry had received a
second letter from his father from an unnamed point in Georgia. It did
not contain much news, but it was full of cheerfulness, and it intimated
in more than one place that Bragg's army was going to strike a great blow.
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