woman's free tongue.

CLEVELAND. Lieutenant Elsworth, I place the Captain in your charge.
Conduct him to a safe place.

HARRY. This is the hard necessity of duty.

ELSWORTH. And this will really be nothing serious?

CLEVELAND. A bagatelle, I do assure you, sir.

WALTER. [_Aside_.] I thank him for calming the fears of the
family--but I know how hard it will go with me.

HARRY. Walter--

WALTER. I go, Harry. Rose!

ROSE. [_Aside, with a sudden thought_.] Go! Say nothing.

WALTER. Come, sir. [_To_ HARRY.

ROSE_ assumes an air of cool indifference, and flings herself
carelessly in a chair._ MAJOR CLEVELAND _appears astonished_. MR.
ELSWORTH _and the others look surprised and incredulous_.

PICTURE TO CLOSE OF ACT.

ACT II.

SCENE.--_A Garden.--House in the background, illuminated_.

_Enter_ ROSE _and_ MAJOR CLEVELAND _from house_, ROSE _hanging on the_
MAJOR'S _arm_.

ROSE. It was really absurd--was it not?--to think me the champion
of that country clown. Poor fellow! I couldn't bear his discomfited
looks, Major, and so, out of old companionship, what could I do less
than stand up for him? There won't be anything positively serious,
will there, eh? I should be sorry to have it so, inasmuch as he fell
into the trap under my father's roof. But don't you think I made a
good champion? It was really presumptuous for the fellow to come here,
though. These rustic clowns thrust themselves everywhere.

CLEVELAND. What, Miss Elsworth, Captain Armstrong, then, is nothing--

ROSE. Nothing in the world, I assure you, but a harmless country lad!
Do tell me, Major, am I not a good actor?

CLEVELAND. Excellent. I really could have supposed that this American
stood high in your esteem.

ROSE. Oh, I like him well enough. He is among the best the country
affords, but that is very bad, you know.

CLEVELAND. Then you bear me no malice?

ROSE. Not enough to kill a gnat.

CLEVELAND. Ah, Miss Elsworth, this assurance gives me the greatest
pleasure.

ROSE. Don't hurt the poor fellow though, Major, I beg of you. I should
be quite sorry if anything happened to him. He is a good-natured,
useful neighbour enough--an unpolished jewel, papa calls him. Ah,
Major, our social wants in this community are lamentable enough, when
we are obliged to content ourselves with such a poor substitute as you
have seen, for all the polish and manner of London circles.

CLEVELAND. Lamentable, indeed, Miss Elsworth!

ROSE. The war b