"The humanitarian wars are all right, all right," said the major,
hastily; "so far as that goes, all right."

"I suppose," said Mrs. Carroll, "that it would cost so much to bring
home gowns from Paris that no one can do it unless they have a great
deal of money. I understand that it costs more than it did."

"Yes," replied the major, "and this government can't see or won't see
that even in the matter of women's clothes it would pay in the end to
bring over every frill and tuck free of duty until our dressmakers
here had caught on to their tricks. Then we could pay them back in
their own coin. But, no; and the consequence is that we shall be
dependent on France for our best clothes for generations more."

"It does seem such a pity," said Mrs. Carroll. "It would be so nice
to have Ina's things made in Paris if it didn't cost anything to get
them over here--wouldn't it?"

"I would just as soon have my dresses made in Banbridge," said Ina.
"Madame Griggs is as good as a French dressmaker."

"She is fine," said Charlotte.

Ina blushed as the major looked at her with a look that penetrated
the dusk. Very soon Marie appeared in the doorway, and they went into
dinner.

"How lucky it is that Anderson does not object to trusting us and we
can have canned soup and pease," whispered Mrs. Carroll to Anna.

It was a very good dinner at last, and the guest was evidently
hungry, for he did justice to it. There were no apologies for the
delay. Carroll did not believe in apologies for such things. There
was a salad from their own garden, and a dessert of apple-pudding
from an early apple-tree in the grounds. The coffee was good, too.
There was no lack of anything which could be purchased at the grocery.

"That grocer must be a very decent sort of man as grocers go," Mrs.
Carroll was fond of remarking in those days. "I really don't know
what we should do if it were not for him."

After dinner was over it was nearly nine o'clock; Carroll and Major
Arms walked up and down the road before the house, smoking, leaving
the ladies on the porch. The ex-army officer had something which he
wished to discuss with his prospective father-in-law. He opened upon
the subject when they had gone a piece down the flagged sidewalk and
turned towards the house.

"What kind of arrangements have the ladies planned with regard
to"--he hesitated and stammered a bit boyishly, for this was his
first matrimonial venture, and he felt embarrassed, vete