t fever-heat, and I panted for the moment--not to
be very long deferred--when I should don my uniform and strut forth to
sport my glories before an admiring world.

Punctual almost to a moment--for once at least in his life--Mr Shears
sent home the uniform whilst we were sitting down to luncheon; and the
moment that I decently could I hastened away to try it on.

The breeches were certainly rather wrinkly above the knees, and the
jacket was somewhat uncomfortably tight across the chest when buttoned
over; it also pinched me a good deal under the arm-pits, whilst the
sleeves exhibited a trifle too much--some six inches or so--of my
wristbands and shirt-sleeves; and when I looked at myself in the glass I
found that there was a well-defined ridge of loose cloth running across
the back from shoulder to shoulder. With these trifling exceptions,
however, I thought the suit fitted me fairly well, and I hastened down-
stairs to exhibit myself to my sister Eva. To my intense surprise and
indignation she no sooner saw me than she burst into an uncontrollable
fit of laughter, and was heartless enough to declare that I looked "a
perfect fright." Thoroughly disgusted with such unsisterly conduct I
mustered all my dignity, and without condescending to ask for an
explanation walked in contemptuous silence out of the room and the
house.

A regimental band was to play that afternoon on Southsea Common, and
thither I accordingly decided to direct my steps. There were a good
many people about the streets, and I had not gone very far before I made
the discovery that everybody was in high good-humour about something or
other. The people I met wore, almost without exception, genial smiling
countenances, and many a peal of hearty laughter rang out from hilarious
groups who had already passed me. I felt anxious to know what it was
that thus set all Portsmouth laughing, and glanced round to see if I
could discover an acquaintance of whom I might inquire; but, as usual in
such cases, was unsuccessful. When I reached the Common I found, as I
expected I should, a large and fashionably dressed crowd, with a good
sprinkling of naval and military uniforms, listening to the strains of
the band. Here, for the first five minutes or so, I failed to notice
anything unusual in the behaviour of the people; but the humorous item
of news must have reached them almost simultaneously with my own arrival
upon the scene, for very soon I detected on the