much obliged to you."

The next morning at eight the two were closeted together, and Tom
immediately extracted the parcel from his pocket and opened the
diamonds to view. "Upon my word that is a pretty little trinket,"
said the Colonel, taking the necklace in his hand.

"Three hundred guineas!" said Tom, opening his eyes very wide.

"I daresay."

"That is, it would have been three hundred guineas unless I had come
down with the ready. I made the fellow give me twenty per cent. off.
You should always remember this when you are buying jewelry."

"And what is to be done with this pretty thing? I suppose it is
intended for some fair lady's neck."

"Oh, of course."

"And why has it been brought down to Aldershot? There are plenty of
fellows about this place who will get their hands into your pocket if
they know that you have such a trinket as that about you."

"I will tell you why I brought it," said Tom, very gravely. "It is,
as you say, for a young lady. I intend to make that young lady my
wife. Of course this is a secret, you know."

"It shall be sacred as the Pope's toe," said Stubbs.

"Don't joke about it, Colonel, if you please. It's life and death to
me."

"I'll keep your secret and will not joke. Now what can I do for you."

"I must send this as a present with a letter. I must first tell you
that she has,--well, refused me."

"That never means much the first time, old boy."

"She has refused me half-a-dozen times, but I mean to go on with it.
If she refuses me two dozen times I'll try her a third dozen."

"Then you are quite in earnest?"

"I am. It's a kind of thing I know that men laugh about, but I don't
mind telling you that I am downright in love with her. The governor
approves of it."

"She has got money, probably?"

"Not a shilling;--not as much as would buy a pair of gloves. But I
don't love her a bit the less for that. As to income, the governor
will stump up like a brick. Now I want you to write the letter."

"It's a kind of thing a third person can't do," said the Colonel,
when he had considered the request for a moment.

"Why not? Yes, you can."

"Do it yourself, and say just the simplest words as they come up.
They are sure to go further with any girl than what another man may
write. It is impossible that another man should be natural on such a
task as that."

"Natural! I don't know about natural," said Tom, who was anxious now
to explain the character of the lady in question