"Ah, how do you do, madame?" he said to Madame St. Vincent, his tone ceremonious. "I fear I am late." It was not a minute that he stood before her, only while he said this: but, strange to say, something in his face or voice struck upon my memory. The face, as much as could be seen of it for hair, seemed familiar to me--just as madame's had seemed. "Who is he?" I whispered to her, following him with my eyes. "Captain Collinson." "Yes, I heard the name. But--do you know anything of him?--who he is?" She shook her head. "Not much; nothing of my own knowledge. He is in an Indian regiment, and is home on sick leave." "I wonder which regiment it is? One of our fellows at Dr. Frost's got appointed to one in Madras, I remember." "The 30th Bengal Cavalry, is Captain Collinson's. By his conversation, he appears to have spent nearly the whole of his life in India. It is said he is of good family, and has a snug private fortune. I don't know any more about him than that," concluded Madame St. Vincent, as she once more rose to go to Lady Jenkins. "He may have a snug private fortune, and he may have family, but I do not like him," put in Charlotte Knox, in her decisive manner. "Neither do I, Lotty," added Dan--who was then at the tea-table: and his tone was just as emphatic as Charlotte's. He had come up for a cup of tea for Mina. Before he could carry it to her, Captain Collinson had taken up the place he had occupied at Mina's elbow, and was whispering to her in a most impressive manner. Mina seemed all in a flutter--and there was certainly no further room for Dan. "Don't you want it now, Mina?" asked Dan, holding the cup towards her, and holding it in vain, for she was too much occupied to see it. "Oh, thank you--no--I don't think I do want it now. Sorry you should have had the trouble." Her words were just as fluttered as her manner. Dan brought the tea back and put it on the tray. "Of course, she can't spare time to drink tea while _he_ is there," cried Charlotte, resentfully, who had watched what passed. "That man has bewitched her, Dan." "Not quite yet, I think," said Dan, quietly. "He is trying to do it. There is no love lost between you and him, I see, Lotty." "Not a ghost of it," nodded Lotty. "The town may be going wild in its admiration of him, but I am not; and the sooner he betakes himself back to India to his regiment, the better." "I hope he will not take Mina with him," said Dan, gravely. "I hope not, either. But she is silly enough for anything." "Who is that, that's silly enough for anything?" cried Madame St. Vincent, whisking back to her place. "Mina," promptly replied Charlotte. "She asked for a cup of tea, and then said she did not want it."