CHAPTER XXIII

AN EVENING AT APPLEYARD

Rankine had got a few days' leave and was spending it at Appleyard. He sat beside Elsie in a corner of the billiard-room, where the party had gathered after dinner. He had arrived during the afternoon, and Andrew was not altogether pleased to see him, although he liked the man. Elsie had suggested that Dick should invite him, and had added that he might as well come when Madge Whitney was there. Since Elsie had not seen Rankine until he arrived, Andrew wondered what she meant; but he admitted that she generally had a reason for what she did.

Nobody had been playing billiards or wanted to begin. Elsie and Mrs. Woodhouse were knitting and the others were talking quietly, while they waited for the evening newspaper.

Presently Staffer made a remark about the Navy, and Madge Whitney looked at Rankine with a smile.

"Don't you feel that you must answer that?"

"I don't know that I can," Rankine answered good-naturedly. "To some extent, Mr. Staffer's right. The Navy certainly occupies the background of the stage, just now."

"It strikes me as being out of sight altogether," Staffer said.

"Well, perhaps that's its proper place. But I expect it will emerge from obscurity when it's wanted."

"We must hope so," Staffer returned. "No doubt, your commanders are waiting for the right moment to make a dramatic entry on the scene; but one imagines that ambitious young officers must find being kept in the background rather galling."

Answer the following questions:
1. What is the chapter number?
2. What is the name of the chapter?
3. Who was sitting next to Elsie?
4. How was he able to be at the Appleyard?
5. Where was he sitting with her?
6. When did they go there?
7. Who was not happy with his arrival?
8. Who suggested he should be invited?
9. Who should be present when he came?
10. Who was to invite him?
11. What common thing were Elsie and Mrs. Woodhouse doing?
12. What were the others doing?
13. And what were Elsie and Mrs. Woodhouse doing?
14. Who broke the silence?
15. Who made a comment about the military?

Numbered answers:
1. CHAPTER XXIII
2. AN EVENING AT APPLEYAR
3. Rankine
4. He had arrived during the afternoon
5. corner of the billiard-room
6. during the afternoon
7. Andrew
8. Elsie
9. unknown
10. Dick
11. playing billiards
12. talking quietly
13. knitting
14. unknown
15. Staffer