superior officer. There's old Margery, now.
[_Looking to door. Calls._] Margery! Tea for two!

MARGERY. [_Without._] The tay be waiting for ye, sur; and it be
boilin' over wid impatience.

BUCKTHORN. Bring up a chair, Barket. [_Sitting in arm-chair._

BARKET. [_Having placed table and drawing up a chair._] Do you know,
Gineral, I don't fale quite aisy in my moind. I'm not quite sure that
Margery will let us take our tay together. [_Sits down, doubtfully._

BUCKTHORN. I hadn't thought of that. I--[_Glancing right._]--I
hope she will, Barket. But, of course, if she won't--she's been
commander-in-chief of my household ever since Jenny was a baby.

BARKET. At Fort Duncan, in Texas.

BUCKTHORN. You and Old Margery never got along very well in those
days; but I thought you had made it all up; she nursed you through
your wound, last summer, and after the battle of Cedar Creek, also.

BARKET. Yis, sur, bliss her kind heart, she's been like a wife to me;
and that's the trouble. A man's wife is such an angel when he's ill
that he dreads to get well; good health is a misfortune to him. Auld
Margery and I have had anither misunderstanding.

BUCKTHORN. I'll do the best I can for both of us, Barket. You were
telling me about the battle of--

BARKET. Just afther the battle of Sayder Creek began, whin Colonel
Wist rode to the front to mate his raytrating rigiment--

_Enter_ OLD MARGERY, _tray, tea, &c. She stops abruptly, looking at_
BARKET. _He squirms in his chair._ BUCKTHORN _rises and stands with
his back to the mantel._ OLD MARGERY _moves to the table, arranges
things on it, glances at_ BARKET, _then at_ BUCKTHORN, _who looks up
at ceiling, rubbing his chin, &c._ OLD MARGERY _takes up one of the
cups, with saucer._

OLD MARGERY. I misunderstood yer order, sur. I see there's no one here
but yerself. [_Going right._

BUCKTHORN. Ah, Margery! [_She stops._] Barket tells me that there has
been a slight misunderstanding between you and him.

OLD MARGERY. Day before yisterday, the ould Hibernian dhrone had the
kitchen upside down, to show anither old milithary vagabone loike
himself how the battle of Sayder Creek was fought. He knocked the
crame pitcher into the basket of clane clothes, and overturned some
raspberry jam and the flat-irons into a pan of fresh eggs. There _has_
been a misunderstanding betwane us.

BUCKTHORN. I see there has. I suppose Barket was showing his friend
how Colonel Kerchival West rode forward t