-----------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. This fleece is now, among other curiosities, at the Portsmouth
Institute.

CHAPTER TEN.

OFF TO THE WARS.

The troops sent out to Egypt at that time were much wanted to reinforce
the southern frontier and defend it from the attacks of Osman Digna,
who, with a large host of the dusky warriors of the Soudan, was giving
the defenders much trouble, and keeping them incessantly on the _qui
vive_.

Miles Milton had no time while in Alexandria for anything but duty. He
saw Marion only once again before leaving, but did not find an
opportunity to converse with her alone. To do him justice, he had not
the most distant intention of declaring the state of his feelings, even
if the opportunity had been given. He merely desired to be in her
company for a little on any terms whatever!

On that occasion, however, he contrived to scorch his heart with a
double dose of jealousy, for he found two young men visiting the
clergyman, each of whom seemed to be a friend of the family. One was a
spendthrift named Rentworth--a young traveller of that loose, easy-going
type which is occasionally met with in foreign parts, squandering the
money of a rich father. He was a decidedly handsome young fellow, but
with the stamp of dissipation already on his countenance. The other was
a telegraph engineer, with honesty and good-nature in every line of his
plain countenance.

Both of these youths paid marked attention to Marion--at least Miles
thought so--and he hated them both accordingly; all the more that he
_felt_ their eyes to be fixed upon him while he was bidding her
"farewell." He did not say "Good-bye." That was too commonplace--in
the circumstances almost childish.

There was one gleam of comfort in the fact, however, that Marion echoed
the word, and that he thought--indeed he was sure--her hand trembled
slightly as she returned, or rather received, his squeeze. Miles was
very stern of countenance and remarkably upright in figure while these
adieux were being said--for the glare of his rivals, he thought, was
upon him.

How the poor fellow got through the preparations and packing and parades
that were necessary when the order came abruptly for the regiment to
start for Suez we cannot tell. He went about everything mechanically,
or like a man in a dream. And it was not till they had fairly started
in the railway train that he became alive to the serio