"Do you know, little girl," he said, "your prescription has done me good? I felt uncommonly cheerful to-day. I suppose there's some hint of the spring in the air that touches up even old blood like mine." "General," said I, "do you think that you felt cheerful perhaps because--because--good news was coming?" He put down his cup and stared at me. "Do you mean anything, Hilda?" he said. "You know what good news means for me. Have you heard anything?" "Yes, I have heard something." "Tell me, then," he said, rising and advancing a step. "I'm not a child or a woman. You have news of Lance?" "Why, yes," I cried, between laughing and weeping. "Thank God! news has come--news of the best. It has brought--Lance." Then a tall figure from behind the screen hurled itself at the General like a stone from a catapult. I gave just a glance at the two men shaking hands with the most tremendous energy, and heard the General's broken "Thank God!" Then I went out and left them together. Now, as I am nothing if not severely practical, I went straight to Mary O'Connor, and told her of the wonderful occurrences of the last half-hour. That good woman quite fulfilled my expectations of her. With a flurry, which was no flurry, she issued her commands. "Run up, you, Jane, to the best bed-room and light a fire, and put out the best linen sheets to air." And then in an aside to me: "I don't suppose the cratur's slept in a dacent bed this many a year." I didn't mind saying anything about the long homeward journey, which must have inured the wanderer once more to sleeping in sheets, for Mary went on: "The table for three to-night, Anne; an' the best table-linen; the satin damask with the little cockle-shells upon it; an' all the silver you can get into use. An' you, Miss Hilda, run out like a good child an' coax Crosspatch to cut some o' them ould flowers of his. 'Tis a great day for Rose Hill entirely." I knew the culinary matters might safely be left in Mary's hands, so I went off obediently to the gardener, whose proper name, Crosbie, had easily become Crosspatch in Mary's mouth. He was as disagreeable as most gardeners about cutting his flowers, though I could usually get what I wanted from him. However, he rose to the occasion on this day of days, and when he heard of the General's great joy, was as anxious as anyone to do his share in celebrating it. [Illustration; "HE WAS AS DISAGREEABLE AS MOST GARDENERS ABOUT CUTTING HIS FLOWERS."]