Vic and Honor came in only in time for dinner and could hardly believe their eyes. They loaded Lois with reproaches for her hole-and-corner wedding and commented adversely on her German frock, which they advised her to burn forthwith, or as soon as she could procure something decent enough to be walked with, and she promised to attend to their wishes in town in the morning. The Colonel had sent word to the Red House for Mr Dare to come over if he came in, and presently he appeared, so worried-looking and dispirited that Lois’s heart was touched and troubled about him. But he brightened up at sight of her and Ray, and gave them very hearty greeting. The lack of news concerning them had been an addition to his load. The sight of them now, alive and well, lightened it to that extent. He brought the cheering news of a heavy defeat of the Austrians by the Russians at Lemberg, but had nothing encouraging to report from France. There we were still falling back and there was talk of the Government removing itself from Paris to Bordeaux, which was not reassuring. It sounded so fatally like 1870. “Wise, all the same,” said the Colonel confidently. “Every additional step the Germans take from their base is a possible added risk for them. But I heard better news than that, Dare. We think they’ve come far enough and now we’re going to call a halt. And maybe we’ll even drive them back.” Over dinner, the great adventure had all to be gone through again, and the girls did their best to convince Lois that she was not properly married and certainly ought to go through the ceremony once more to make quite sure, for her own satisfaction and theirs. “Think how awful it would be,” said Vic portentously, “if in ten years’ time you found it was invalid, and Ray could just shake you off with a simple ‘Good-day, Madam!’” “Horrible!” laughed Ray. “Don’t you worry yourself thin over it, Balaclava. I’ve seen to it that she can’t get rid of me, no matter how she wants to. Everything is quite all right, my child. Trust me for that.” And Lois, smiling confidently, was yet praying in her inmost heart, “God spare him to come back to me! It may be that when he goes I may never see him again.” They were still deep in talk when the boys came swinging in about nine o’clock, and at sight of the uniform they drew themselves up and saluted smartly. “Three paces in front and three in the rear!” said Noel, and they marched solemnly past Ray before dropping their hands. “And if a simple private may be permitted to address his superior officer,--where the dickens have you two dropped from--a Zeppelin?” “No, only the Folkestone boat----” and, after a brief outline of their wanderings abroad, they fell into talk of regimental matters. “Maybe they’ll put you back into the Second Battalion,” suggested Gregor, and Lois’s heart beat hopefully. “Oh, will they, my boy? Not if I know it. The Colonel knows all about it and he’s holding my post for me.”