land, we must endeavour to draw them into
furzy ground, and then set the Volunteers at them. No Frenchman can do
much with prickles in his legs."

Lady Scudamore smiled, for she was thinking of her son, who would have
jumped over any furze-bush there--and the fir-trees too, according to
her conviction; Dolly also showed her very beautiful teeth; but Faith
looked at him gratefully.

"It is very kind of you, Lord Dashville, to say the best of us that you
can find to say. But I fear that you are laughing to yourself. You know
how well they mean; but you think they cannot do much."

"No, that is not what I think at all. So far as I can judge, which is
not much, I believe that they would be of the greatest service, if the
Country should unfortunately need them. Man for man, they are as brave
as trained troops, and many of them can shoot better. I don't mean to
say that they are fit to meet a French army in the open; but for acting
on their flanks, or rear, or in a wooded country--However, I have no
right to venture an opinion, having never seen active service."

Miss Darling looked at him with some surprise, and much approval of
his modesty. So strongly did most of the young officers who came to her
father's house lay down the law, and criticise even Napoleon's tactics.

"How beautiful Springhaven must be looking now!" he said, after Dolly
had offered her opinion, which she seldom long withheld. "The cottages
must be quite covered with roses, whenever they are not too near the
sea; and the trees at their best, full of leaves and blossoms, by the
side of the brook that feeds them. All the rest of the coast is so hard
and barren, and covered with chalk instead of grass, and the shore so
straight and staring. But I have never been there at this time of year.
How much you must enjoy it! Surely we ought to be able to see it, from
this high ground somewhere."

"Yes, if you will ride to that shattered tree," said Faith, "you will
have a very fine view of all the valley. You can see round the corner
of Foxhill there, which shuts out most of it just here. I think you have
met our Captain Stubbard."

"Ah, I must not go now; I may be wanted at any moment"--Lord Dashville
had very fine taste, but it was not the inanimate beauties of
Springhaven that he cared a dash for--"and I fear that I could never see
the roses there. I think there is nothing in all nature to compare with
a rose--except one thing."

Faith had a lovely moss-r