s, of both of whom
we have every reason to be proud. There now, let us talk of other
things. You have both gone through wonderful adventures, which we are
burning to hear about."

"You have changed a great deal, Edgar," Mrs. Clinton said. "Of course we
have seen Rupert comparatively lately; but I think that you have changed
more than he has from what you both were three years ago. You look older
than he does, and your figure is more set."

"He has gone through so much more," Rupert said; "he has been doing
man's work for three years. I have only had a year and a half of it."

"You need not be in a hurry to look old, Rupert," Captain Clinton
laughed; "that will come soon enough, and you have widened out a good
deal in this last year. You had got very weedy, and I am glad to see
that you are filling up.

"I have some news for you, Edgar. I saw Lord Wolseley on his return to
England, and he spoke very kindly of you both, and when I got your
telegram from Suakim I wrote to him again and received a very warm
letter of congratulation from him in reply. He told me that he had
received a most favourable report of you from your colonel, who said
that your conduct had been most exemplary since you had entered the
regiment, and that as you had been recommended for the Victoria Cross he
had intended to recommend you for a commission as soon as you had served
a qualifying time as a sergeant. But Lord Wolseley said that he thought
it would be a great pity for you to lose four or five years' seniority
by waiting to get your commission from the ranks, and that he had that
morning spoken to the Duke of Cambridge about you, and that the latter
had put your name down for a Queen's Cadetship, so that if you could
pass the mere qualifying examination you could have a commission at
once. There will be an examination in two months' time, and if you go up
to a crammer and work hard you will be able to brush up your school work
and get through; if not, of course you can go in again six months later.
I am afraid you will hardly get ready in time for the first."

"I don't know, father," Rupert said; while Edgar expressed his lively
satisfaction. "Edgar speaks Arabic like a native, and if he takes that
up as a subject he is sure to get full marks for it, and that will help
him tremendously. Of course he would have no chance of getting through
if he had to go in for the competition; but something like half the
number of marks are enough for th