arth, "sit there. And Daisy--come here!"

He put me into the fellow chair; and then built up the wood in the
fireplace till we had a regular illumination. Then drew himself up
before the fire, and looked at his aunt.

"It's like you!" broke out Miss Cardigan. "Ever since you were born, I
think, you did what you liked, and had what you liked; and threw over
everything to get at the best."

"On the contrary," said Thorold, "I was always of a very contented
disposition."

"Contented with your own will, then," said his aunt. "And now, do you
mean to tell me that you have got this prize--this prize--it's a first
class, Christian--for good and for certain to yourself?"

I lifted my eyes one instant, to see the sparkles in Thorold's eyes;
they were worth seeing.

"You don't think you deserve it?" Miss Cardigan went on.

"I do not think I deserve it," said Thorold. "But I think I will."

"I know what that means," said his aunt. "You will get worldly
glory--just a bit or two more of gold on your coat--to match you with
one of the Lord's jewels, that are to be 'all glorious within'; and
you think that will fit you to own her."

"Aunt Catherine," said Thorold, "I do not precisely think that gold
lace is glory. But I mean that I will do my duty. A man can do no
more."

"Some would have said 'a man can do no less,'" said Miss Cardigan,
turning to me. "But you are right, lad; more than our duty we can none
of us do; where _all_ is owing, less will not be overpay. But whatever
do you think her father will say to you?"

"I will ask him when the time comes," said Thorold, contentedly. His
tone was perfect, both modest and manly. Truth to say, I could not
quite share his content in looking forward to the time he spoke of;
but that was far ahead, and it was impossible not to share his
confidence. My father and my mother had been practically not my
guardians during six and a half long years; I had got out of the habit
of looking first to them.

"And what are you going to do now in Washington?" said his aunt. "You
may as well sit down and tell us."

"I don't know. Probably I shall be put to drill new recruits. All
these seventy-five thousand men that the President has called for,
won't know how to handle a gun or do anything else."

"And what is he going to do with these seventy-five thousand men,
Christian?"

"Put down treason, if he can. Don't you realize yet that we have a
civil war on our hands, Aunt Catherine? The S