he, and proceeded to seat himself at the other end
of the rustic bench, where he remained, bolt upright, and with his long
legs stretched out straight before him, as is, and has been, the manner
of cavalrymen since they first wore straps.

"And now," said he, staring straight in front of him, "how might Miss
Anthea be?"

"Oh, very well, thank you," nodded Miss Priscilla.

"Good!" exclaimed the Sergeant, with his eyes still fixed, "very good!"
Here he passed his hand two or three times across his shaven chin,
regarding an apple-tree, nearby, with an expression of the most
profound interest:

"And how," said he again, "how might Master Georgy be?"

"Master Georgy is as well as ever," answered Miss Priscilla, stitching
away faster than before, and Bellew thought she kept her rosy cheeks
stooped a little lower over her work. Meanwhile the Sergeant continued
to regard the tree with the same degree of lively interest, and to rasp
his fingers to and fro across his chin. Suddenly, he coughed behind
hand, whereupon Miss Priscilla raised her head, and looked at him.

"Well?" she enquired, very softly:

"And pray, mam," said the Sergeant, removing his gaze from the tree with
a jerk, "how might--you be feeling, mam?"

"Much the same as usual, thank you," she answered, smiling like a girl,
for all her white hair, as the Sergeant's eyes met hers.

"You look," said he, pausing to cough behind his hand again, "you
look--blooming, mam,--if you'll allow the expression,--blooming,--as you
ever do, mam."

"I'm an old woman, Sergeant, as well you know!" sighed Miss Priscilla,
shaking her head.

"Old, mam!" repeated the Sergeant, "old, mam!--nothing of the sort,
mam!--Age has nothing to do with it.--'Tisn't the years as count.--We
aren't any older than we feel,--eh, sir?"

"Of course not!" answered Bellew.

"Nor than we look,--eh sir?"

"Certainly not, Sergeant!" answered Bellew.

"And she, sir,--she don't look--a day older than--"

"Thirty five!" said Bellew.

"Exactly, sir, very true! My own opinion,--thirty five exactly, sir."

"Sergeant," said Miss Priscilla, bending over her work again,
"Sergeant,--your hat!" The Sergeant, hereupon, removed the distracting
head-gear altogether, and sat with it upon his knee, staring hard at the
tree again. Then, all at once, with a sudden gesture he drew a large,
silver watch from his pocket,--rather as if it were some weapon of
offence,--looked at it, listened to it, and then nod