e, twenty-four his last birthday, while Katharine
was several years his junior. It was time to settle himself; and if he
must ride away to the wars, it were well, pleasant at least, to think
that he was leaving at home a wife over whom he had thrown the
protecting aegis of his name.

Katharine would be much happier,--his thoughts dwelt tenderly upon
her,--and the definite arrangement would be better than this tacit
understanding, which of course was sufficiently binding; though, now he
thought of it, Katharine had seemed a little difficult of late,
probably because of the indefinite character of the tie. He laughed
boyishly in pleasure at his own thought. It was another proof that she
loved him, that she resented any assumption on his part based on hopes
indulged in and plans formed by her father and his mother. He must
declare himself at once. Poor mother! it was hard for her; but she
would soon get over all that, and when he came back distinguished and
honored by the people, she would feel very differently. As for the
capricious Katharine, he would speak out that very night, never
doubting the issue, and get it done with. Of course, that was all that
was necessary.

When she knew that he was engaged heart and soul in the cause of the
Revolution, she would be ready to yield him anything. Not that he had
any doubt of the result of his proposal in any case; as soon doubt that
the nature and orderly sequence of events should be suddenly and
violently interrupted, as imagine that these cherished plans, in which
they had both acquiesced so long ago, should fall through. And so my
lord was prepared to drop the handkerchief at the feet of my lady for
her to pick up! It was a time, however, he might have remembered, in
which the old established order of events in other fields, which men
had long since conceived of as fixed as natural laws, was being rudely
broken and destroyed. Many things which had heretofore been habitually
taken for granted, now were required to be proved, and Talbot was
destined to meet the fate of every over-confident lover. Devotion,
self-abnegation, persistency,--these during ten days had held the
field; and the result of the campaign had been that inevitable one
which may always be looked for when the opposing forces, even after
years of possession, muster under the banner of habit, assurance,
confidence, and neglect.

So musing, the light-hearted gentleman galloped along. The interveni