eposterous staff the size of a small brigade,
has just passed at a terrific gallop--a handsome, mild-eyed man who
has made us into an army, and who ornaments headquarters with an
entire squadron of Claymore's 20th Dragoons and one of our own 8th
Lancers. Well, some day he'll come to me and say: 'Ormond, I
understand that there is only one man in the entire army fit to
command it. Accept this cocked hat.'

"That detail would suit me, dear. I could get behind the casemates
of Monroe and issue orders. I was cut out to sit in a good, thick
casemate and bring this cruel war to an end.

"A terribly funny thing happened at Alexandria. A raw infantry
regiment was camped near the seminary, and had managed to flounder
through guard mount. The sentinels on duty kept a sharp lookout
and turned out the guard every time a holiday nigger hove in sight;
and sentinels and guard and officer were getting awfully tired of
their mistakes; and the day was hot, and the sentinels grew sleepy.

"Then one sentry, dozing awake, happened to turn and glance toward
the woods; and out of it, over the soft forest soil, and already
nearly on top of him, came a magnificent cavalcade at full
gallop--the President, and Generals McClellan and Benjamin Butler
leading.

"Horror paralyzed him, then he ran toward the guard house,
shrieking at the top of his lungs:

"'Great God! Turn out the guard! Here comes Old Abe and Little
Mac and Beast Butler!'

"And that's all the camp gossip and personal scandal that I have to
relate to you, dear.

"I'll run the guard if I can, so help me Moses!

"And I am happier than I have ever been in all my life. If I don't
run under fire you have promised not to stop loving me. That is
the bargain, remember.

"Here comes your late lamented. I'm no favorite of his, nor he of
mine. He did me a silly trick the other day--had me up before the
Colonel because he said that it had been reported to him that I had
enlisted under an assumed name.

"I had met the Colonel. He looked at me and said:

"'Is Ormond your name?'

[Illustration: "'Is Ormond your name?'"]

"I said: 'It is, partly.'

"He said: 'Then it is sufficient to fight under.'

"Ailsa, I am going to tell you something. It has to do with me, as
you know me, and it has to do with Colonel Arran.

"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you; but I'm also afraid it will be
necessary.

"Colonel Arran is your friend. But, Ailsa, I am his implacable
enemy.