e
appointed to the 3-th Regiment, at present quartered in India."

Alice looked at him quickly as she heard this, and, as a natural
consequence, Sam looked too. They had expected that he would have
hurra'd aloud, or thrown up his hat, or danced about, when he heard of
it. But no; he only sat bolt upright in his hammock, though his face
flushed scarlet, and his eyes glistened strangely.

His father looked at him an instant, and then continued,--

"Six months' leave of absence procured at the same time, which will
give you about three months more at home. So you see you now possess
the inestimable privilege of wearing a red coat; and what is still
better, of getting a hole made in it; for there is great trouble
threatening with the Affghans and Beloochs, and the chances are that
you will smell powder before you are up in your regimental duties.
Under which circumstances I shall take the liberty of requesting that
you inform yourself on these points under my direction, for I don't
want you to join your regiment in the position of any other booby. Have
the goodness to lie down again and not excite yourself. You have
anticipated this some time. Surely it is not necessary for you to cry
about it like a great girl."

But that night, after dark, when Sam and Alice were taking one of those
agreeable nocturnal walks, which all young lovers are prone to, they
came smoothly gliding over the lawn close up to the house, and then,
unseen and unheard, they saw Captain Brentwood with his arm round Jim's
neck, and heard him say,--

"O James! James! why did you want to leave me?"

And Jim answered. "Father, I didn't know. I didn't know my own mind.
But I can't call back now."

Sam and Alice slipt back again, and continued their walk. Let us hear
what conversation they had been holding together before this little
interruption.

"Alice, my darling, my love, you are more beautiful than ever!"

"Thanks to your absence, my dear Sam. You see how well I thrive without
you."

"Then when we are----"

"Well?" said Alice. For this was eight o'clock in the evening, you
know, and the moon being four days past the full, it was pitch dark.
"Well?" says she.

"When we are married," says Sam, audaciously, "I suppose you will pine
away to nothing."

"Good gracious me!" she answered. "Married? Why surely we are well
enough as we are."

"Most excellently well, my darling," said Sam. "I wish it could last
for ever."

"Oh, indeed!" said A