just ten minutes after I telegraphed to you, was
present at inspection, and if it had not been for your despatch this
morning I should not have known he had remained out of quarters. He
appeared to resent my having been to his quarters,--calls it spying, I
presume."

"What permission had he to be away?"

"I gave him leave to visit town on personal business yesterday
afternoon. He merely asked to be away a few hours to meet friends in
town, and Mr. Hall took tattoo roll-call for him. As I do not require
any other officer to report the time of his return, I did not exact it
of him; but of course no man can be away after midnight without special
permission, and he was gone all night. What is it, Armitage? Has he
followed her down there?"

"Somebody was there last night and capsized the colonel pretty much as
he did you the night of the ladder episode," said Armitage, coolly.

"By heaven! and I let him go!"

"How do you know 'twas he?"

"Who else could it be, Armitage?"

"That's what the colonel asks; but it isn't clear to me yet awhile."

"I wish it were less clear to me," said Chester, gloomily. "The worst
is that the story is spreading like a pestilence all over the post. The
women have got hold of it, and there is all manner of talk. I shouldn't
be surprised if Mrs. Hoyt had to be taken violently ill. She has written
to invite Miss Renwick to visit her, as it is certain that Colonel and
Mrs. Maynard cannot come, and Hoyt came to me in a horror of amaze
yesterday to know if there were any truth in the rumor that I had caught
a man coming out of Mrs. Maynard's window the other night. I would tell
him nothing, and he says the ladies declare they won't go to the german
if _she_ does. Heavens! I'm thankful you are come. The thing has been
driving me wild these last twelve hours. I wanted to go away myself.
_Is_ she coming up?"

"No, she isn't; but let me say this, Chester: that whenever she is ready
to return I shall be ready to escort her."

Chester looked at his friend in amazement, and without speaking.

"Yes, I see you are astonished, but you may as well understand the
situation. I have heard all the colonel could tell, and have even seen
the letter, and since she left here a mysterious stranger has appeared
by night at Sablon, at the cottage window, though it happened to be her
mother's this time, and I don't believe Alice Renwick knows the first
thing about it."

"Armitage, are you in love?"

"Chester,