Year: 1879




General, you must not think of in
dulging bis insolent request, were the
only sentences audible in the general
hubbab that arose on every side Of ths
table.


But the General rose.
'Genilemen,' he said quietly, i
have never yet refused to listen to al
euemy's petition. If you can satisfy
me, cir, perhaps your comrades will
take my word for you


There was a murmur Of very re-
!uctant acquiescence, as the Ensign
bowed and waited respectfully 10 fol
low the General to the ante-chamber.
They had not disappeared behind tie
heavy curtains before sll sorts of sur
misses were whispered round he ia.
bic. guesses and hints so wild and
sinister as to do credit neither to the
heads nor the hearts which originat-
cd them.


The General and the Ensign s;aid
a longer time in the ante-room than
would have sufliced to search the En-
sign's pockets twice ara thrice over.
Not sound could be heard. If any
conversation was going forward, it
must have been in very low voice.
The two gentlemen were away for
nearly half an hour


All the military servants had been
subjected to the Commandant's rigid
iscrutiny, and then dismissed.


1t might be as well that none but
the gentlemen of the regiment should
know what the end was.


TIE delay grew first awkward and
then awful. Even the whispers and
rupluFs Jagged into an intense and ex-
cited watchi0g.


Al last the General aud the Ensign
came out. The Ensign's face ses
still very pale; what flush remained
upon it had now mounted to the eyes.
The old General was blowing his
nose


Ensign Ransom has thoroughly
satisfied me. be said, in his most gen
isl voice. Never mind my box. II
has vanished by one of those mys,er-
iouS accidents which will happen
sometimes. It will be found some
day. And, now, gentlemen, perhaps,
as we have been thus broken up, we
shall not settle down again very com
fortably tonight | hope we shall
see you all at the Castle before
Lady Elizabeth and ! leave for Lon
don


General, sad lbe Commandant,
drawing him little to one side,
may say that l sincerely trust your
great generosity has not led you tc


Sir cried the old General, cany u
imagine that any mistaken idea Of
kindaess would cause me to make
you a companion of thieves? Gen.
tlemen,' be went on, seeing that the
compsay were nor unaware OF tais
little by-plsy 4 pledge my word
that | am satisfied Of Ensign Ran
sons honor, and whoever dares to
doubt him makes me to be bis accom-.
plice.'


And the old General seized the
young EnsIgn'5 arm and marched
him from the banqueting-room, while
every one sat dumbfounded, till the
spiteful Major remarked that wonders
would never cease.


There was nothing more to be said
1t was discovered that Ensign Ran
son was not only invited to the Cas-
tie with the other officers, but wes
also asked there by himself, and act
ually was believed to have taken tea
with the General and Lady Elizabeth
in their deepest retirement.


For the Generals sake rather iban
bis own, his BROTHER officers continued
on courteous terms with him and be
had always been SO shy, and kept
himself SO aloof, that perhaps he did
not discover there was but little cor
diality in their courtesy And pres
emily be exchanged into another
regiment, which went on foreign SER
vice.


He was away for several years,
and in the fortunes Of war he got rap
idly promoted SO that when he re-
turned home, though be was still
young, he was no longer poor no.
body.


When be landed in his own coun.
try he found letter awaiting him,
written by one who bad sat near him
az that memorial dinner party, and
who was now residing 10 the old
Castle where the General and Lady
Elizabeth bad been guests.


This letter pressed him, In the
warmest terms, to spend some Of bis
earliest days in England at this very
Castle, and so give many old friends
who were in the neighborhood an
opportunity of meeting and congratu-
lating him.


Ensign Ransom, now Colouel Ran
son, smiled little strangely when
be read this invitation. but be wrote
q very polite little reply and accepted
il.


Once more be sat in the stately old
banqueting-room of the fort.


This time be had not walked in
from the bleak east end Of the town,
but had bee. driven from the Castle
10 the chariot of the Castles owner.
But, al be took bis seat in the chair
Of honor. be noticed that every face
al the table was, in all its changes.
familiar to him.


all Of tho suests at the former din
ner were not there. Many of those,
indeed, be well knew, were sleeping
on battIefields far away. But nobody
was at this dinner who had not been
at the other.


Once more the dishes were remoy-
ed and the servants Withdrawn.


The guest of the evening was no
wonderful s,ory-telIer, like the good
old General. who had now passed to
rest


Colonel Ransom was as taei.urn as
Ensign Ransom had been shy. and be
even let the conversation flag, and
never seemed to notice IT,


Colonel said the eldest gentleman
OF the party. speaking with visible
effort, and giving o slight cough to
veil his embarrassment, Colonel, !
think we all remember another time
when we dined together here