k his things with the keenest anxiety relative to the
immaculate folding of his coats and the safe repose of his shirts, and
at last was ready to go and fetch the bride his line in the _Daily_ had
procured him.

As Belle went down the stairs with Gower, who should come too, with his
gun in his hand, his cap over his eyes, and a pointer following close at
his heels, but Fairlie, going out to shoot over a friend's manor.

Of course he knew that Belle had asked for and obtained leave for a
couple of months, but he had never heard for what purpose; and possibly,
as he saw him at such an unusual hour, going out, not in his usual
travelling guise of a wide-awake and a Maude, but with a delicate
lavender tie and a toilet of the most unexceptionable art, the purport
of his journey flashed fully on his mind, for his face grew as fixed and
unreadable as if he had had on the iron mask. Belle, guessing as he did
that Fairlie would not have disliked to have been in his place that
morning, was too kind-hearted and infinitely too much of a gentleman to
hint at his own triumph. He laughed, and nodded a good morning.

"Off early, you see, Fairlie; going to make the most of my leave.
'Tisn't very often we can get one; our corps is deuced stiff and strict
compared to the Guards and the Cavalry."

"At least our strictness keeps us from such disgraceful scenes as some
of the other regiments have shown up of late," answered Fairlie between
his teeth.

"Ah! well, perhaps so; still, strictness ain't pleasant, you know, when
one's the victim."

"Certainly not."

"And, therefore, we should never be hard upon others."

"I perfectly agree with you."

"There's a good fellow. Well, I must be off; I've no time for
philosophizing. Good-bye, Colonel."

"Good-bye--a safe journey."

But I noticed that he held the dog's collar in one hand and the gun in
the other, so as to have an excuse for not offering that _poignee de
main_ which ought to be as sure a type of friendship, and as safe a
guarantee for good faith, as the Bedouin Arab's salt.

Belle nodded him a farewell, and lounged down the steps and into the
carriage, just as Fairlie's man brought his mare round.

Fairlie turned on to me with unusual fierceness, for generally he was
very calm, and gentle, and impassive in manner.

"Where is he gone?"

I could not help but tell him, reluctant though I was, for I guessed
pretty well what it would cost him to hear it. He did not say one w