spoken, and when at length they broke silence, they spoke of things
which were indifferent by comparison. They discussed the probable hour
of the arrival of the route, the probable destination of the regiment,
the time at which Polson might expect to escape his drill.

At last the General appeared walking side by side with Colonel Stacey.
Irene was facing that way, and was naturally the first to see him.

'Here is good-bye, dear,' she said. 'Papa is coming.'

'Good-bye,' he said softly. 'Good-bye. God bless you.'

'God bless you, too,' said Irene. She held out her little gloved hand
to him, and he took it in his own. She looked bravely into his eyes, and
they spoke their last farewell without a sign of tremor.

'This,' said the General, advancing as Polson turned away, 'is the young
fellow of whom I have been speaking. Polson, this is your commanding
officer, Colonel Stacey.' Polson raised his cap and bowed civilian
fashion.

'Ah!' said the jolly colonel, turning his red face and twinkling eyes on
the recruit.

'You are Polson Jervase? Joined this morning, eh? I hear an excellent
account of you. Try to deserve it. I shall remember you. Good morning.'

But as Polson saluted again, and turned to go, the General seized him by
the hand and shook it warmly.

'We must all face the fortune of war, my lad,' he said. 'The best of
good luck go with you. If you hear of me out yonder, as you may, don't
forget to report yourself. Good-bye.'

There were a good many eyes at the barrack windows, and the minds of
many dragoons were inspired with wonder. For a General and a Waterloo
veteran was a personage, and the daughter of the same was a personage,
and it was out of the common for a newly-joined recruity to engage in
intimate talk with the like of them for half an hour together, and to be
shaken hands with by the veteran, and saluted as if he were an officer
by the veteran's coachman, and personally introduced to 'Old Stayce'
into the bargain.

And amazement sat on many foreheads when the carriage rolled away, and
the General stood up to wave his hat to the recruity, and the lady stood
up to wave her hand, and the recruity, unconscious of the interest he
excited, waved the shabby old sealskin cap in answer until the equipage
was ringingly saluted at the gate, and swung swiftly out of sight.

And then, it was over. Oh, it was all over, and one manly heart was sore
and cold. The new recruity stood there planted in the barr