“But they had warm clothes,” said Mrs. Mayhew, with the air of asserting an unanswerable fact. “Yes; such as they were. A kind of blanket suit made to fit the million. And then you saw tall men in clothes barely below their miserable knees, and little men shambling along, one huge wrinkle. These garments were better than nothing, that’s all.” “And did you feel the cold yourself?” asked Mark, with sympathetic interest. “Sometimes; but I am a hardy fellow, and could stand it better than lots of others. Duck-shooting of a winter’s day, at home, broke me in pretty well, you know.” “And was your appetite equally well broken in?” asked Geoffrey, with raised eyebrows. “I’m afraid not,” returned Reginald, with a laugh. “Many a time I have gone to bed hungry.” “But you could always buy?” said Geoffrey, combatively. “Not always. When the surrounding country was nothing but stones and brown grass, and there was no bazaar, no mess, nothing but our strictly allotted ration, I declare I’ve sometimes envied my chargers, who were pretty well off for hay. But of course these short commons were the exception, not the rule,” he added cheerfully. Mary gazed with blank, open-eyed amazement at her neighbour, and tried to realise that this nonchalant, handsome host of hers, who seemed to consider it rather an exertion to break a few walnuts, who was surrounded by every luxury taste could devise or money could obtain, had been quite recently a cold, hungry soldier, garbed in a sheepskin coat; had confronted hardship and war, and had ridden up undaunted and looked into the very face of death itself. CHAPTER VI. THE BALL AT RUFFORD. The evening of the ball found Alice arraying herself at her cheval glass, an admiring Abigail was twitching and pulling at her dress--she also admired herself in no small degree. The glass reflected an exquisitely-fitting white silk ball costume, trimmed with clouds of soft lace, tulle, and silver--it was not merely a dress, it was an inspiration. A thick collar of diamonds encircled her throat--Reginald’s wedding present; three diamond stars to correspond sparkled in her hair; silver and diamond bangles, long white gloves, and a feather fan completed her toilet. Mary, in pale pink (her particular colour), looked remarkably well; but Alice _killed_ her; no one would look at her twice beside such a dazzling vision of loveliness. Together they descended to the hall, and found Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew, Geoffrey, and Reginald awaiting them, the two latter in the full splendour of their hussar uniform. Maurice, who had been allowed to sit up for once, seemed duly to appreciate the great occasion, and viewed his father with profound and unmistakable admiration; even the radiant apparition in white that came floating down the staircase was powerless to divert his attention. * * * * *