--these were the trophies of that great gift that made her the wonder
and mystery that she was.

We mingled companionably with the great folk who flocked to the big
house to make Joan's acquaintance, and they made much of us and we lived
in the clouds, so to speak. But what we preferred even to this happiness
was the quieter occasions, when the formal guests were gone and the
family and a few dozen of its familiar friends were gathered together
for a social good time. It was then that we did our best, we five
youngsters, with such fascinations as we had, and the chief object of
them was Catherine. None of us had ever been in love before, and now we
had the misfortune to all fall in love with the same person at the same
time--which was the first moment we saw her. She was a merry heart, and
full of life, and I still remember tenderly those few evenings that I
was permitted to have my share of her dear society and of comradeship
with that little company of charming people.

The Paladin made us all jealous the first night, for when he got fairly
started on those battles of his he had everything to himself, and there
was no use in anybody else's trying to get any attention. Those people
had been living in the midst of real war for seven months; and to hear
this windy giant lay out his imaginary campaigns and fairly swim in
blood and spatter it all around, entertained them to the verge of the
grave. Catherine was like to die, for pure enjoyment. She didn't laugh
loud--we, of course, wished she would--but kept in the shelter of a fan,
and shook until there was danger that she would unhitch her ribs from
her spine. Then when the Paladin had got done with a battle and we began
to feel thankful and hope for a change, she would speak up in a way that
was so sweet and persuasive that it rankled in me, and ask him about
some detail or other in the early part of his battle which she said had
greatly interested her, and would he be so good as to describe that part
again and with a little more particularity?--which of course precipitated
the whole battle on us, again, with a hundred lies added that had been
overlooked before.

I do not know how to make you realize the pain I suffered. I had never
been jealous before, and it seemed intolerable that this creature should
have this good fortune which he was so ill entitled to, and I have to
sit and see myself neglected when I was so longing for the least little
attention out of the thou