This rather leading question was put with the most straightforward simplicity. "I am a soldier." "A soldier!"--looking very earnestly at him--"what a pity!" "Why?" asked Wilton, surprised, and a little nettled. "Soldiers are necessary evils." "But what evils! what symbols of deeper evils than themselves! I do not mean to say," interrupting herself with a sudden consciousness that her words were rude, while a delicate tinge of color came and went in her cheek, "that _you_ are bad or wicked; but it is so sad to think that such things, or people rather, should be necessary still." "No doubt it would be better for the world to be in an Arcadian or paradisiacal condition; but, as it is, I am afraid it will be a long time before we can dispense with fighting or fighting-men. However, you are right--war is a horrible thing, and I hope we shall have no more for a long time." "Alas! how dare we hope that, so long as it is in the power of three or four men to plunge three or four nations into such horrors?" "Ah, I see I have encountered a dangerous democrat," said Wilton, laughing; and, vaguely pleased to see her drawn out of her cool composure, he watched the varying color in her cheek while she was turning over the leaves of her sketch-book, seeming to seek for something. "Pardon me," said Wilton, after waiting for a reply, and determined to speak again, "but I imagine you are not English." "I scarcely know--yes, I believe I am." She spoke in her former quiet tone again. "In England all young ladies are conservative, at least all I have ever known," continued Wilton. "Conservative!--I have read that word often in the journals. Is it legitimacy, Church and state, and all that?" "Exactly." "Well, the young ladies I know--and they are but few--are very charming, very accomplished; but they know nothing, absolutely nothing. Is it not strange?" There was not the slightest approach to cynicism in her tone, but she looked at Wilton as if fully expecting him to share her wonder. "Is this the character of the young ladies of the unknown land into which I am about to plunge? I fancied Scotchwomen were educated within an inch of their lives." "I know English girls best. Some are very learned; have been taught quantities; they can tell the very year when printing was tried, and when Queen Elizabeth first wore silk stockings, and when every great pope was born; and they read French and German; and oh, I cannot tell all they can do and say. And yet--yet, they know nothing--they care for nothing--they lead such strange lives." "I suppose the lives of all girls are much alike," observed Wilton, more and more curious to find out some leading acts concerning his rather original companion. "But, as we are both bound for the same place, perhaps I may have some opportunity of communicating my observations on the intellectual status of the Monkscleugh young ladies?" "There is very little probability of such an event," said she, with an amused smile.