ith the
officers, and often had to be repeated.

Then there were fetes in the neighbourhood, balls given, and twice over
the band was required at a public dinner.

The lessons given to Lieutenant Lacey were continued, and that officer
certainly improved; but he did not evince the slightest desire to repeat
the serenade, not even alluding to it when Dick visited his rooms.

There were times, of course, when a fit of low spirits would set Dick
dreaming a little about what might have been, but he soon dismissed
thoughts of the past; and in all the months since he had left Mr
Draycott's no single scrap of news reached his ears, neither was it
sought.

"I have no past," he would say to himself, as he forced himself
energetically into every duty and every sport encouraged by the colonel.

Before long it was a settled thing that he must be one of the best
eleven when cricket was in the way, and when the season came round he
played as good a part at football.

The officers always had a friendly nod for him, and on one occasion the
colonel spoke to him after a solo, praising him highly.

"But, do you know, Smithson," he said, "I am half-sorry that you are not
in the ranks. Music is a delightful thing; but for a young man, like
you, a bandsman in a line regiment is only a bandsman, after all. I
think you might do better, though I should be sorry for you to leave the
band. Think it over, my lad; I should like to see you get on."

Dick did think it over, for he was aware, by his clothes, that he had
altered greatly since that afternoon when the sergeant looked at him and
laughed.

"I can't be too short and slight now."

But he hesitated. There had never been any need for him to be
disenchanted with regard to imaginative pictures of a soldier's life;
but, all the same, he could not help, after his months of experience,
shrinking from taking to a life in the ranks, with its many monotonous
drills.

Still, he thought it over, and wondered how long it would be before he
rose to corporal, and was then promoted to sergeant and colour-sergeant.

Lastly, was there the slightest possibility for a young man like himself
to gain a commission? He always came to the same conclusion. He might:
but he was far more likely to fail; and he did not know that he wished
to be an officer now. In fact, he shuddered at the thoughts which
followed.

Meanwhile the time went on, with the feeling always upon him that the
colonel might