s army?"
he said, looking down at me.

"O no!" I said, laughing--"there are a great many more--there are a
great many more--only you do not happen to see them."

"And these others, that I do see, are not soldiers, then?"

"I do not know," I said, feeling sadly what a stumbling-block it was.
"Perhaps they are. But you know yourself, Mr. Thorold, there is a
difference between soldiers and soldiers."

He was silent a while, as we mounted the hill; then he continued--

"But it makes religion a slavery--a bondage--to be _all_ the while
under arms, on guard, watching orders. _Always_ on the watch and
expecting to be under fire--it is too much; it would make a gloomy,
ugly life of it."

"But suppose you _are_ under fire?" I said.

"What?" said he, looking and laughing again.

"If you are a good soldier in an enemy's country, always with work to
do; will you wish to be off your guard, or off duty?"

"But what a life!" said Thorold.

"If you love your Captain?" said I.

He stopped and looked at me with one of the keenest looks of scrutiny
I ever met. It seemed to scrutinize not me only, but the truth. I
thought he was satisfied; for he turned away without adding anything
more at that time. His mind was at work, however; for he broke down a
small branch in his way and busied himself with it in sweeping the
trunks of the trees as we went by; varying the occupation with a
careful clearing away of all stones and sticks that would make my path
rougher than it need be. Finally, giving me his hand to help me spring
over a little rivulet that crossed our way.

"Here is an incongruity, now I think of it," said he, smiling. "How is
it that you be on such good terms with a rebel? Ought you to have
anything to do with me?"

"I may be friends with anybody in his private capacity," I answered in
the same tone. "That does not compromise anything. It is only
when--You know what I mean."

"When they are assembled for doubtful purposes."

"Or gathered in a place where the wrong colours are displayed," I
added. "I must not go there."

"There was no false banner hung out on the Academic Building the other
night," he said humorously.

But I knew my King's banner was not either. I knew people did not
think of Him there, nor work for Him, and would have been very much
surprised to hear any one speak of Him. Say it was innocent amusement;
people did not want Him with them there; and where He was not, I did
not wish to be. But I c