orus from the young lady and the boys together.

"Oh, Hugh, you hear what he says!" exclaimed the former, turning to
her cousin. "Oh, I am so glad that he thinks so!" Then, recollecting
that she was paying him the highest compliment, she suddenly began to
blush, and turned once more to him. "Well, you talk as if you were
surprised. Did you expect anything else?"

There was a fine scorn in her voice, if it had been real.

"Certainly not; you are all too clever at making an attack," he said
coolly, looking her in the eyes. "But I have heard even of _your_
running away," he added, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"When?" she asked quickly, with a little guilty color deepening in her
face as she glanced at the boys. "I never did."

"Oh, she did!" exclaimed both boys in a breath, breaking in, now that
the conversation was within their range. "You ought to have seen her.
She just _flew_!" exclaimed Frank.

The girl made a rush at the offender to stop him.

"He doesn't know what he is talking about," she said, roguishly, over
her shoulder.

"Yes, he does," called the other. "She was standing at the foot of the
steps when you all came, and--oo--oo--oo--" the rest was lost as his
cousin placed her hand close over his mouth.

"Here! here! run away! You are too dangerous. They don't know what
they are talking about," she said, throwing a glance toward the young
officer, who was keenly enjoying her confusion. Her hand slipped from
Willy's mouth and he went on. "And when she heard it was you, she just
clapped her hands and ran--oo--oo--umm."

"Here, Hugh, put them out," she said to that young man, who, glad to
do her bidding, seized both miscreants by their arms and carried them
out, closing the door after them.

Hugh bore the boys into the dining-room, where he kept them, until
supper-time.

After supper, the rest of the family dispersed, and the boys' mother
invited them to come with her and Hugh to her own room, though they
were eager to go and see the General, and were much troubled lest he
should think their mother was rude in leaving him.

CHAPTER XIV.

The next day was Sunday. The General and Hugh had but one day to stay.
They were to leave at daybreak the following morning. They thoroughly
enjoyed their holiday; at least the boys knew that Hugh did. They had
never known him so affable with them. They did not see much of the
General, after breakfast. He seemed to like to stay "stuck up in the
house" all