marking time, and they do not
prize the most the man who marks time best, but the man who can bring
some humour or touch of romance into the dullness of routine, and they
prefer the humour to be led up to by the winding road of eccentricity.
It was never dull with the Guard. They possessed officers who kept their
world on the move.

'Gentlemen,' said Wallenloup at length, when his last remark had been
received with approval, 'I have the honour to inform you that M.
Selpdorf has seen fit to appoint, _vice_ Captain Insermann, deceased,
Lieutenant John Rallywood, of the Frontier Cavalry.'

A silence followed this announcement.

'Upon whose recommendation has M. Selpdorf taken this step?' inquired
Captain Colendorp gravely.

'Reasons of State--mere reasons of State. He had the audacity to tell me
so.'

'I understood, sir, that you had other views?' said Adiron.

'Well, yes, we had virtually agreed upon our choice, I may say,
gentlemen.'

'Certainly, sir. And you made that clear to the Chancellor?'

'I did so--perfectly clear. I told him in the most reasonable manner
that we wanted no condemned rabble in the Maasaun Guard! I told him that
we had practically decided on Abenfeldt in case of a vacancy occurring.
I even went so far as to remind him that there had been Abenfeldts among
us for four centuries.'

'He couldn't meet that argument!' exclaimed Adiron.

'No, he parried it, gracefully enough, I admit. He reminded me in turn
that there had been Selpdorfs also in the Guard, and swore that had he a
son of his own to nominate he must still at this moment have given the
preference to this Englishman. I left him to reconsider the matter,
however, and rode home, to find _that_ already waiting for me in my
quarters,' and he pointed to the parchment in Adolf's hand.

Adolf looked up with a smile.

'He will not join immediately, sir, this Rallywood?' he said with his
gentle lisp.

'Not for a week.'

'Then it doesn't really matter, you know,' added the young man.

Wallenloup's red-shot eyes gleamed upon him suddenly.

'As your commanding officer, sir,' he said grimly, 'I don't understand
your meaning, but----' and an odd smile flickered about the savage lips.

'As a private gentleman, Colonel----' put in Colendorp.

'As a private individual I understand your meaning very well. But if I
were here as your colonel, Lieutenant Adolf, by Heaven, sir, not all the
officers of the Guard, past or present'--he rose to