Lincoln was on his feet and for a moment the bronze mask of his face was distorted by suffering.
"My God!" he cried. "What will the country say? What will the country say?"
"It matters little what the country says. The point is what will the country suffer. In a fortnight Lee will be in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Your quadrilateral will not shrink, it will extend. In a month we shall be fighting to hold Washington and Baltimore, aye, and Philadelphia."
The bitterness of the words seemed to calm Lincoln.He was walking up and down the floor, with his hands clasped behind his back, and his expression was once again one of patient humility.