will invite my Commandant and all the officers of the garrison.
Monsieur can make a sketch and mademoiselle can gather flowers."

We expressed ourselves delighted at the proposal, and, after promising
to send Mary ostrich eggs and jackal skins to take to England, the
Capitaine left us.

"I don't like the Capitaine as well as the Commandant," Mary said; "but
how kind they all are to us! It is as if we were princes on a journey of
triumph. Oh, Tom! what days to remember are these!"

"I think your head will be fairly turned, what with the Commandant's
dinners and the Capitaine's fetes-champetres," I said; "and if the
Lieutenant----"

"M. le Lieutenant!" announced Dominique, opening the door calmly, as if
nothing was the matter.

We had been twice so shocked and surprised that we had no more
embarrassment to expend on the Lieutenant. Indeed, he was rather shy
himself, which was the very thing to reassure a warm-hearted,
sympathetic little creature like my sister, and they began to talk
together without any effort.

He was young and handsome, with a very frank, pleasant expression.

"I am afraid that it is useless for me to offer my poor services," he
said, very modestly, "my superior officers having forestalled me; but it
will make me very happy to do anything for you. If mademoiselle would
like any stuffed birds, or dried flowers and plants, it will give me
pleasure to procure them for her; and perhaps monsieur would like me to
show him some wonderful things to paint. I draw a little myself, and
know where the finest points of view are to be found."

We thanked him heartily, and accepted all that he offered us. As it was
now time for our second breakfast, or, more properly speaking, lunch, we
pressed him to partake of it with us, which he did. We should not have
ventured upon inviting the Commandant, much less the Capitaine, so
unceremoniously, but the Lieutenant's diffident manner had set us quite
at our ease.

"I have a very humble apartment," he said; "but if monsieur and
mademoiselle will visit me, I will do the honors of it with pride and
pleasure. I can at least offer them a little music."

"Yes, I know that you play," Mary said, smiling; "our rooms join, and I
heard you playing before I went to sleep last night."

"Oh, mademoiselle! I shall never forgive myself if I disturbed you."

"No, indeed, you did not, monsieur. Much as I liked the music, I was too
tired to listen to it, and went to sleep all th