The Compleat Bachelor

to Bassishaw's garden-party, but Carrie had suddenly devel

it would look so bad to run off. I don't supp

ken. It would

a brother and sister living happily together, as, say, in our own case. I argued on the holy bonds of kinship, and con

she might have suspected something, as I continued in the same strain; but such is not the way of youth. Her arts might have been transparent to me for months and months, yet she would at last break

itary young figure had evidently been on the look-out for our conveyance, for he made several false starts, and almost

d? Do, Butterfield?" he said

r afraid I'd have to let Carrie come

eyes, but he bore it nicely. He is "w

field would have been all right, y

. Saying so seem

This was young Bassishaw's excuse for conducting us personally, and he pointed out various people as "men you oug

tactician's knowledge, but I had the larger experience. He led us towards the base of operations, the refreshment tent, where he calculated to play on the natural interest I should take in the commissariat department. He gave me a hint of a private canteen-it was good strategy, I was very thirs

ad held forth in his redundant way on the fascinating pers

urselves on inaccessible Indian hills, you scorch under African suns, while all you love is left behind you in England. You do not marry-that is, the true soldier thinks it inconsistent with

ld," he replied. "Lots of ou

's arm trembling on

to leave their wives, and worship them only in the ideal sense. They see them, perhaps, o

omen are glad to go abroad with their husba

of his trial. He does not fight for his country, but for hi

without that. Hang it all," he broke out, "if you've got that fancy sort of thing in your head, why didn't you join the army

"No, Bassishaw, the soldier's watchword is singleness. He is as great a solitary as that other one,

often--" be

" said Carrie a

the other his duty. Look at Loring and his wife, there. They look happy, and comfortable, and pretty; they have gentle, dome

down. The watchful foe took instant advantage of it. Unseen b

to speak to you a moment most par

was waiting, tapping her toe with her parasol. There was no way out. I turned away, and, looking over my shoulder, saw the

rting under my defeat; "I am gl

ively, "I've been wanting to speak to you

," I replied. "I have been greatl

uring to gain time. "Oh, how nice

you send for me to tell me it was a lovel

arrassed. "I wanted-I wanted to talk t

tell you, Rollo--

ith a peremptory

blind and deaf and stupid, and that I couldn't see what was under my nose. She wanted to tell me

replied Mrs. Loring, illogical, aft

ne another, my wisdom and experience will stop them. But I have been plotted against, have been told nothing;

titude, and bowed myself away. I made for my ho

strategist in our young fr

way?" he

superior force, and is in retr

untered the victorious enemy, they made str

d affectionately on my sleeve, and coming very

was almost

nto it, but, hang it all, you don't encourage a chap much, you know. You're so deuced quizzy, you know. And, I say, Butterfield. That wa

other; but he didn't. My spirit was broken; I had no dramatic surprise le

Bassishaw. "You're the only one to ask, yo

to recover my old authority, but they talked laughingly across me, and I knew what sort of glances were pa