on his
forehead, his swarthy cheek fired, and, thrusting the note into his pocket,
he turned toward his regiment, saying hastily to the servant--

"You need not wait. No answer is expected."

At the breakfast-table Irene opened a hasty missive from Salome, inviting
her to be present at the presentation of the flag, and begging a few choice
flowers for the occasion. Smiling quietly, she filled the accompanying
basket with some of the rarest treasures of the greenhouse, added a bowl of
raspberries which the gardener had just brought in, and sent all, with a
brief line excusing herself from attending.

The morning was spent in writing to her father, preparing a parcel for him,
and in superintending the making of a large quantity of blackberry jelly
and cordial for the use of the hospitals.

About noon Dr. Arnold came, and found her engaged in sealing up a number of
the jars, all neatly labelled. The day was warm; she had pushed back her
hair from her brow, as she bent over her work; the full sleeves were
pinned up above the elbow, and she wore a white check-muslin apron to
protect her dress from the resin and beeswax.

"In the name of Medea and her Colchian cauldron! what are you about,
Irene?"

"Fixing a box of hospital stores for you to take with you. I have finished,
sir. Let me wash my hands, and I will give you some lunch in the
dining-room."

"No; I lunched with the Israelites. Salome was brilliant as a Brazilian
fire-fly, and presented her banner quite gracefully. Aubrey looked splendid
in his uniform; was superbly happy in his speech--always is. Madam did the
honours inimitably, and, in fine--give me that fan on the table--everything
was decidedly _comme il faut_. You were expected, and you ought to have
gone; it looked spiteful to stay away. I should absolutely like to see you
subjected to 212 deg. Fahrenheit, in order to mark the result. Here I am
almost suffocating with the heat, which would be respectable in Soudan,
and you sit there bolt upright, looking as cool as a west wind in March.
Beauty, you should get yourself patented as a social refrigerator,
'Warranted proof against the dog-days.' What rigmarole do you want me to
repeat to Leonard?"

"I wish, if you please, when you get to Manassa, that you would persuade
father to allow me to come, at least, as far as Richmond. You have some
influence with him; will you use it in my favour?"

"You are better off at home; you could possibly do no good."