-sword; along the terrace
he went and down the steps (two at a time) and so across the wide sweep
of velvety lawn with prodigious strides albeit limping a little by
reason of one of his many wounds, the tails of his war-worn Ramillie
coat fluttering behind. Reaching the orchard he crossed to a
particular corner and halted before a certain part of the red brick
wall where grew the cherry tree in question.

"Sir," said the Sergeant, squaring his shoulders, "you'll note as all
cherries has been looted from top branch--only ones as was ripe----"

"A thousand devils!" exclaimed the Major.

"Also," continued the Sergeant, "said branch has been broke sir."

"Ten thousand----" The Major stopped suddenly and shutting his mouth
very tight opened his grey eyes very wide and stared into two other
eyes which had risen into view on the opposite side of the wall, a pair
of eyes that looked serenely down at him, long, heavy-lashed, deeply
blue beneath the curve of their long, black lashes; he was conscious
also of a nose, neither straight nor aquiline, of a mouth scarlet and
full-lipped, of a chin round, white, dimpled but combative and of a
faded sun-bonnet beneath whose crumpled brim peeped a tress of glossy,
black hair.

"Now God--bless--my soul!" exclaimed the Major.

"'Tis to be hoped so, sir," said the apparition gravely, "you were
swearing, I think?"

The Major flushed.

"Young woman----" he began.

"Ancient man!"

"Madam!"

"Sir!"

The Major stood silent awhile, staring up into the grave blue eyes
above the wall.

"Pray," said he at last, "why do you steal my cherries?"

"To speak truth, sir, because I am so extreme fond of cherries."

Here Sergeant Tring gurgled, choked, coughed and finding the Major's
eye upon him immediately came to attention, very stiff in the back and
red in the face.

The Major stroked his clean-shaven chin and eyed him askance.

"Sergeant, you may--er--go," said he; whereat the Sergeant saluted,
wheeled sharply and marched swiftly away.

"And pray," questioned the Major again, "who might you be?"

"A maid, sir."

"Hum!" said he, "and what would your mistress say if she knew you
habitually stole and ate my cherries?"

"My mistress?" The grave blue eyes opened wider.

"Aye," nodded the Major, "the fine London lady. You are her maid, I
take it?"

"Indeed, sir, her very own."

"Well, suppose I inform her of your conduct, how then?"

"She'd swear at me, sir."

"Egad, a