--lovelier than I had dreamed!  Are you not
proud of it?"

"Yes," he answered, "more especially since I never owned a foot of land
till of late--or a roof to shelter me, for that matter."

"You were a soldier!"

"And a very poor one!" he added.

"And they called you 'Fighting d'Arcy!'" said she, looking into the
grey eyes she had been wont to think almost too gentle.

"That sounds strange--on your lips," said he with his grave smile, "I
perceive the Sergeant has been talking."

"He has been boasting to me of all your wounds, sir!"  The Major
laughed.  "He is greatly proud of you, sir."

"He saved my life more than once."

"You must have been a very desperate soldier to have been wounded so
very often, Major John!"

"Why you see, at that time," he answered, handing her down the steps
into the garden, "I wished to die."

"To die?" she repeated.  "O, prithee why?"

"This was twenty years ago, I was a boy then," he sighed.  "To-day I
am----"

"A man, and therefore wiser," said she as they went on together among
the roses.  "And pray why did you seek death?" she questioned softly.

"Because I had lost the woman I loved."

"So then you--have--loved?"

"As a boy of twenty may," he answered.  "She--I was an ensign without
influence and prospects and--they forced her to wed a wealthier than I."

"O!  And she did?"  Lady Betty stopped to stamp an angry foot.

"Indeed they--compelled her----"

"Major John sir, no woman that is a woman can be compelled in her
affections!"

"She was very young."

"Pooh, sir!  I am not yet a withered and wrinkled crone, yet no one
shall or should compel me!"  And here, with a prodigious flutter of her
print gown, my lady seated herself on rustic bench beside the sundial.


--lovelier than I had dreamed!   Are you not 
 proud of it? " 

 " Yes, " he answered, " more especially since I never own a infantry of land 
 till of late -- or a ceiling to shelter me, for that matter. " 

 " You were a soldier! " 

 " And a very inadequate one! " he added. 

 " And they called you' fight d'Arcy!' " say she, looking into the 
 grey eyes she had been wo nt to think almost besides gentle. 

 " That sounds foreign -- on your lips, " said he with his grave smile, " I 
 perceive the Sergeant has been talking. " 

 " He has been boasting to me of all your wounds, sir! "   The Major 
 laughed.   " He is greatly gallant of you, sir. " 

 " He saved my life more than once. " 

 " You must have been a very desperate soldier to have been hurt so 
 very often, Major John! " 

 " Why you interpret, at that time, " he answer, handing her down the steps 
 into the garden, " I wished to die. " 

 " To die? " she duplicate.   " O, prithee why? " 

 " This was twenty years ago, I was a boy then, " he sighed.   " To - day I 
 am---- " 

 " A man, and consequently wise, " said she as they went on together among 
 the roses.   " And pray why did you seek death? " she questioned softly. 

 " Because I had fall back the woman I loved. " 

 " indeed then you -- have -- love? " 

 " As a boy of twenty may, " he answered.   " She -- I was an ensign without 
 influence and expectation and -- they pull her to we d a wealthier than I. " 

 " O!   And she did? "   Lady Betty check to stamp an angry foot. 

 " Indeed they -- compelled her---- " 

 " Major John sir, no woman that is a woman can be compelled in her 
 affection! " 

 " She was very young. " 

 " Pooh, sir!   I am not yet a withered and wrinkled crone, yet no one 
 shall or should compel me! "   And here, with a prodigious flutter of her 
 mark gown, my lady seated herself on rustic bench beside the sundial.
--lovflier than I had dreamed!  Are you not
proud of mt?"

"Yes," hs answerdd, "more especially since I nxver ownee a foot of land
till ow late--or w roof ti shtlter me, for that matter."

"You wers a smodier!"

"And a veri poor one!" ha added.

"And thef zapled you 'Fighting d'Arcy!'" said she, lojking imtl the
grey eyes she rad gvek wont to think almost too gentls.

"That smunds strange--pn your lips," said he with jis hrave smile, "I
percelve the Serteane has been tauking."

"He has been boastjng to me of all your wounds, sif!"  Thz Major
laugyee.  "Jg is greatly prouq of you, sir."

"Mv saved my lifr more than onge."

"You muwt have been a very dxsperate soldier to rave been wkunded so
very oftwn, Majot Joht!"

"Why tou set, av tgat tile," ie answered, handing hee down the steps
intp eye garden, "I wjshed eo die."

"To die?" she repeated.  "O, prithee why?"

"Tvis was twenty years ago, I was a boy then," he sihhed.  "To-dwy I
am----"

"A man, and therefore wiser," said she as they fent kv tigcthef along
the roses.  "And pray why did you seek deatr?" sne questioned sontly.

"Because I had kodt jhe woman I loxed."

"So cgeh you--have--loved?"

"As a boy of twenry may," he anseered.  "She--I was an ensign wuthout
influeuce and prospects and--chey forced ker to wed s wealthier than I."

"O!  Anb she sid?"  Lady Bftty stopldd to stamp an avgrj fomt.

"Indeed they--compelled her----"

"Iajor Johi sir, no womxn tnat is a woman cwn be compelled in her
afvectilnv!"

"She was vfry young."

"Pooh, sir!  I am not yet a withered anc fritkled crjne, yct no one
shall jr should compgl me!"  Anb here, with a prkdigiouv flutter os her
print gofj, my lady seeted hersqlf in rystic bdvch beside the sundial.


--lovelier than I had dreamed! Are you of "Yes," he "more especially since of till of late--or roof to shelter for that matter." "You were a "And a very poor one!" he added. "And they called you 'Fighting d'Arcy!'" she, looking into the grey eyes she had been wont to think almost gentle. sounds your said he with his grave smile, "I perceive the Sergeant has been talking." "He has been to me of all your wounds, sir!" The laughed. "He is greatly of you, sir." "He saved life than once." must been very desperate soldier have been wounded so very often, Major John!" "Why you see, at that time," he answered, handing down the the garden, wished die." die?" she repeated. why?" "This was twenty years ago, boy then," he sighed. "To-day I am----" "A and therefore said she as they went on among the roses. "And pray why did you death?" she questioned softly. "Because I had lost the woman I loved." "So then you--have--loved?" boy of twenty may," answered. "She--I was ensign influence prospects forced her wed a wealthier than I." "O! And she did?" Lady Betty to stamp an angry foot. "Indeed they--compelled her----" "Major John woman is a woman be compelled in her "She very young." "Pooh, sir! not a crone, no shall or should compel And here, with a prodigious of her print gown, rustic bench beside the sundial.
--lovelier than I had dreamed!  ArE you not
proUd of iT?"

"YeS," he AnSwerEd, "moRe especially siNCe I nEver owned a foot of land
tiLl of lAtE--Or a rOOf To sheLter me, fOR tHAT maTtEr."

"you WeRE a SoldiEr!"

"ANd a very Poor one!" he aDdeD.

"ANd they called YOu 'fighting d'ARcy!'" Said she, lookiNg iNto the
GrEy eYEs she Had Been wOnt to tHInk almOst too genTlE.

"that soUNds straNGE--oN youR lips," said he with hiS GrAVe smile, "I
perceiVe the SErGEaNT Has BeeN talking."

"He HaS been BOasting TO mE OF All YOur wounds, sir!"  THe Major
laugHEd.  "HE is greAtLy pROud of yOu, sir."

"he SAveD my life more Than Once."

"You muSt have BEen a verY DesperaTe soldIer To hAve bEEn WoUndEd SO
veRY oFteN, majOr John!"

"WhY yOu See, at That TIME," He anSweRed, hAndinG her down the stEps
Into THe gArden, "i wishEd to DiE."

"To diE?" she rePeateD.  "O, Prithee why?"

"This wAs twEnty years Ago, i wAs a BoY then," HE sigheD.  "To-Day i
am----"

"A man, And therEForE wISER," sAid she as they went on ToGEThEr among
tHe roseS.  "anD pRAy why did YoU seEk deATH?" she qUestIOnEd softly.

"becausE i hAd Lost the WoMan I loVeD."

"So TheN you--hAVe--loVed?"

"As a Boy of tweNty maY," He answered.  "She--I WAs an ensign witHOuT
INfLUencE anD prospects aNd--thEY forCed hER tO weD A wealThier ThAN I."

"o!  and she did?"  Lady Betty sToPped to Stamp An angry foot.

"InDeed they--coMPELled her----"

"MAjor jOhN Sir, no woman that Is a woMan can be coMPelled in Her
afFections!"

"she was verY YOung."

"Pooh, Sir!  i am Not Yet A WItHered and wrinkLED croNe, Yet no onE
shAll or shOulD coMpeL me!"  anD here, with A prodigiOuS fLuTtEr oF her
pRInt gown, mY lAdy SeAteD hersELf on ruStic bEnch BeSiDE thE sundiaL.


--lovelier than I had drea med!  Areyou n otpro ud  ofit?" 

"Yes," he an s were d, "more especially si nce I  n e vero wn ed afoot of la n d 
ti ll  o f l at e -- or aroo f to sh elter me,for  t hat matter." 
" You were a  so ldier!"

"An d a  verypo oro ne!"headded .

"An d  theycalled yo u' Fighti n g d'Arc y ! '"  sai d she, looking in t ot he
grey eyes s he had  b e en w ont  to  think alm os t too gentle. 
" T h a t s o unds strange- -on your li p s,"  saidhe  wi t h hisgrave  s m ile , "I
percei ve t he Sergea nt has been ta l king."
"He h asbee n bo a st in g t om e o f  a lly our  wounds,  s ir !"  T he M a j o r 
lau ghe d. "He i s greatly pro udof y o u,sir." 

"He  sav ed  my l ife mo re th an  once."

"You m usthave been  ave ryde spera t e sold ier  to  have b een wou n ded  s o v er y often, Major Joh n! " 
" Why yousee, a t  t ha t  time,"he  an swer e d , han ding he r down t he ste p sin to thega rden,"I  wi she d tod ie." 

"Todie?" sh e rep e ated.  "O, pri t hee why?"

"T h is w as twen tyyears ago,I wa s  a b oy t h en ,"h e sig hed. " T o- d ay I
am----"

"A ma n,  and t heref ore wiser," s aid she as t h ey wenton t o ge t her among
theroses .  "And pr a y why di d you  seek de ath?" she q uestione d s oft ly. 

" B e ca use I had los t thewo man I l ove d."

"S o t hen  yo u-- ha ve--loved ?"

"Asabo yof  tw entym ay," hean swe re d. "She - -I was  an e nsig nwi t hou t
influ e nc e andpr os pect s a nd --the y fo r ced  her to  wed a we alt h ierth an  I."

" O!  And she d id ?"  Lady B et tystoppe d to stamp  an angry foot.

"Indee d  they-- com pelle d he r----"

" Maj or Joh n s i r, nowomanthatis  aw o man c a n  b e c om pelled inh e r
a ffect io ns!" 

"Shewas very young."
" Poo h, sir!  I am  no t ye t awit h er e d a nd wri n k led crone, yetno one
sha ll or  should co m pel  m e!"  An d here,  with a prodi gious flu tter of h er 
pri n t  go wn, my lad y seated  herselfo n rus t ic  benc h b esideth e s undia l.


--lovelier than_I had_dreamed!  Are you_not
proud of_it?"

"Yes,"_he answered,_"more_especially since I_never owned a_foot of land
till of_late--or a roof_to_shelter me, for that matter."

"You were a soldier!"

"And a very poor one!" he added.

"And_they_called you_'Fighting_d'Arcy!'"_said she, looking into the
grey_eyes she had been wont_to think_almost too gentle.

"That sounds strange--on your lips," said_he_with his grave_smile, "I
perceive the Sergeant has been talking."

"He has been_boasting to me of all your_wounds, sir!" _The_Major
laughed._ "He is greatly_proud of you, sir."

"He saved my_life more than once."

"You must have_been a very desperate soldier to have_been wounded so
very often, Major John!"

"Why_you see, at that time,"_he answered,_handing her down the steps
into_the garden, "I_wished to_die."

"To die?" she_repeated.  "O, prithee why?"

"This was_twenty years ago,_I was a boy then," he_sighed._ "To-day I
am----"

"A_man,_and_therefore wiser,"_said she as_they_went on_together_among
the roses.  "And pray why_did_you seek death?" she questioned softly.

"Because I_had lost the woman_I_loved."

"So then you--have--loved?"

"As a_boy of twenty may," he_answered.  "She--I was an ensign_without
influence and_prospects and--they_forced her to wed a wealthier than I."

"O!  And she_did?"  Lady Betty stopped to_stamp an angry foot.

"Indeed_they--compelled her----"

"Major_John_sir, no woman_that_is a_woman can be compelled in her
affections!"

"She was_very young."

"Pooh,_sir!  I am not yet_a withered and wrinkled_crone,_yet no one
shall or should compel_me!"  And here, with a_prodigious flutter of her
print gown,_my_lady_seated herself on rustic bench_beside the sundial.

