n consequence. When
you are ready to marry, I am ready to give you the means. Don't
forget that."

"I won't forget it, sir," Bob said, smiling; "and I will try to
meet your wishes."

Mr. Bale looked at him sharply. Carrie's letters were long and
chatty; and it may be that Mr. Bale had gleaned, from them, some
notion of an idea that Carrie and Mrs. Harcourt had in their heads.

Three years later Mr. Bale remarked, as they were driving home:

"By the way, Bob, I was glad to see, in the paper today, that the
58th is ordered home."

"Is it, sir?" Bob asked, eagerly. "I have not looked at the paper
today. I am glad to hear that. I thought it wouldn't be long. But
there is never any saying--they might have been sent somewhere
else, instead of being sent home."

"I hope they will be quartered somewhere within reach," Mr. Bale
said. "If they are stationed at Cork, or some outlandish place in
Ireland, they might almost as well be at Gibraltar, for anything we
shall see of them."

"Oh, we can manage to run over to Cork, uncle."

"There will be no occasion to do that, Bob. Captain O'Halloran will
be getting leave, soon after he comes over, and then he can bring
Carrie here."

And he smiled slily to himself.

"He mayn't be able to get leave for some time," Bob said. "I think,
uncle, I shall run over, directly they arrive."

"Perhaps the firm won't be able to spare you," Mr. Bale remarked.

"It is my opinion the firm would get on just as well, without me,
or an indefinite time, uncle."

"Not at all, Bob. Mr. Medlin was saying, only a few days ago, that
you do quite your share of the work; and that he generally leaves
it to you, now, to see country customers when I am out, and thinks
the change has been an advantage to the business. However, if the
regiment does go to Ireland--as is likely enough--I suppose we must
manage to spare you."

It was indeed soon known that the 58th were, in the first place, to
be disembarked at Cork and, one day, Mr. Bale came into the office.

"I have just seen your friend Lockett, Bob; I mean the younger one.
He commands the Antelope now, you know. His uncle has retired, and
bought a place near Southampton, and settled down there. Young
Lockett came up from Portsmouth by the night coach. He put in at
Gibraltar on his way home, and the 58th were to embark three days
after he left. So if you want to meet them when they arrive at
Cork, you had better lose no time; but start by the night