hussar&rsquo;s breeches, blue with a red stripe. </p> <p> &ldquo;Lieut. Feraud in?&rdquo; he inquired, benevolently. </p> <p> &ldquo;Oh, no, sir! He went out at six this morning.&rdquo; </p> <p> The pretty maid tried to close the door. Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert, opposing this move with gentle firmness, stepped into the ante-room, jingling his spurs. </p> <p> &ldquo;Come, my dear! You don&rsquo;t mean to say he has not been home since six o&rsquo;clock this morning?&rdquo; </p> <p> Saying these words, Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert opened without ceremony the door of a room so comfortably and neatly ordered that only from internal evidence in the shape of boots, uniforms, and military accoutrements did he acquire the conviction that it was Lieut. Feraud&rsquo;s room. And he saw also that Lieut. Feraud was not at home. The truthful maid had followed him, and raised her candid eyes to his face. </p> <p> &ldquo;H&rsquo;m!&rdquo; said Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert, greatly disappointed, for he had already visited all the haunts where a lieutenant of hussars could be found of a fine afternoon. &ldquo;So he&rsquo;s out? And do you happen to know, my dear, why he went out at six this morning?&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she answered, readily. &ldquo;He came home late last night, and snored. I heard him when I got up at five. Then he dressed himself in his oldest uniform and went out. Service, I suppose.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;Service? Not a bit of it!&rdquo; cried Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert. &ldquo;Learn, my angel, that he went out thus early to fight a duel with a civilian.&rdquo; </p> <p> She heard this news without a quiver of her dark eyelashes. It was very obvious that the actions of Lieut. Feraud were generally above criticism. She only looked up for a moment in mute surprise, and Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert concluded from this absence of emotion that she must have seen Lieut. Feraud since the morning. He looked around the room. </p> <p> &ldquo;Come!&rdquo; he insisted, with confidential familiarity. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s perhaps somewhere in the house now?&rdquo; </p> <p> She shook her head. </p> <p> &ldquo;So much the worse for him!&rdquo; continued Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert, in a tone of anxious conviction. &ldquo;But he has been home this morning.&rdquo; </p> <p> This time the pretty maid nodded slightly. </p> <p> &ldquo;He has!&rdquo; cried Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert. &ldquo;And went out again? What for? Couldn&rsquo;t he keep quietly indoors! What a lunatic! My dear girl&mdash;&rdquo; </p> <p> Lieut. D&rsquo;Hubert&rsquo;s natural kindness of disposition and strong sense of comradeship helped his powers of observation.