tle nervously to fetch him a finer white towel
than those which usually did kitchen duty for herself and Diana; and
then the biscuits were baked, and the farm hands came streaming in.

There were several of them, now in haying time, headed by Josiah Davis,
Mrs. Starling's ordinary stand-by. Heavy and clumsy, warm from the
hay-field, a little awkward at sight of the company, they filed in and
dropped into their several seats round one end of the table; and Mrs.
Starling could only play all her hospitable arts around her guest, to
make him forget if possible his unwonted companions. She served him
assiduously with the best she had on the table; she would not bring on
any dainties extra; and the young officer took kindly even to the pork
and pickles, and declared the brown bread was worth working for; and
when Mrs. Starling let fall a word of regretful apology, assured her
that in the times when he was a cadet he would have risked getting a
good many marks for the sake of such a meal.

"What are the marks for?" inquired Mrs. Starling curiously.

"Bad boys," he told her; and then went off to a discussion of her hay
crop, and a dissertation on the delights of making hay and the pleasure
he had had from it that afternoon; "something he did not very often
enjoy."

"Can't you make hay anywheres?" Mrs. Starling asked a little dryly.

He gravely assured her it would not be considered military.

"I don't know what military means," said Mrs. Starling. "_You_ are
military, ain't you?"

"Mean to be," he answered seriously.

"Well, you are. Then, I should think, whatever you do would be
military."

But at this giving of judgment, after a minute of, perhaps, endeavour
for self-control, Mr. Knowlton broke down and laughed furiously. Mrs.
Starling looked stern. Diana was in a state of indecision, whether to
laugh with her friend or frown with her mother; but the infection of
fun was too much for her--the pretty lips gave way. Maybe that was
encouragement for the offender; for he did not show any embarrassment
or express any contrition.

"You do me too much honour," he said as soon as he could make his voice
steady; "you do me too much honour, Mrs. Starling. I assure you, I have
been most unmilitary this afternoon; but really I am no better than a
boy when the temptation takes me; and the temptation of your meadow and
those long windrows was too much for me. I enjoyed it hugely. I am
coming again, may I?"

"You'll have to be