The captain had a delightful new pupil that day. The three went out to the marshes beyond the town, and there, at Comethup's modest suggestion, the captain assisted in the building of the forts and instructed 'Linda in the first principles of military tactics. She proved an apt and eager pupil, overleaping obstacles which appeared to present themselves to the slower mind of the captain, and showing a delightful sense of the fine art of strategy and a quickness of resource in a difficult situation, which elicited that gentleman's warm approval. In the most natural and fearless fashion she walked back with them to the captain's cottage and partook of the captain's simple dinner, unconsciously and quickly taking a position in the small household which no one had dared to occupy before. She showed unbounded delight at the salute given by Homer, the captain's man, and actually called him back into the room again and insisted on his repeating the performance in order that she might see exactly how it was done, making the blushing man do it very slowly indeed, that she might take in every turn and twist of his arm. Comethup trembled a little, lest the captain should take offence; but the captain's heart had been taken by storm, and he allowed the mite to rule him as completely as she appeared to rule others with whom she came in contact outside her father's house. Finally, Comethup received instructions to take her back home in safety; and the two children set off hand in hand, the captain standing at the garden gate of his cottage to watch their departure. She had completed her conquest of that gallant warrior by seizing him by the lapels of his coat and drawing his head down in the most unexpected fashion and kissing him before she dashed out of the cottage with Comethup, whose salute to the captain was a mere undignified flying wave of the arm, in consequence of her haste. At the big iron gates which led to her father's house they saw the woman standing who had been in the garden on the previous day; she drew the child swiftly within the gates, and went down on her knees and held her close to her breast without a word. Comethup, embarrassed, stood looking on, not knowing whether to go or to stay; he felt, however, that the necessity of the situation compelled him to explain the child's absence. "We met 'Linda quite by accident," he said, "the captain and I, and she has had dinner with the captain. I do assure you, ma'am"--he had got that phrase from the captain--"that she has been perfectly safe." "Oh, I am quite sure she has," replied the woman, looking round at him with a smile. "And I am very grateful to the captain and to you.--Say 'Good-night,' 'Linda," she added to the child.