"Does it give you pleasure to banter me like this?" "Banter, man? I was in earnest." They walked along the parade in silence, and had not gone far before they met the Master of the Ceremonies, who raised his hat stiffly, in response to their salutes, and passed on. "Oh, man, man, why don't you take the good the gods provide you, instead of sighing after what you cannot have." "Mellersh," said Richard, as if he had not heard him, "if I make up my mind to leave Saltinville, will you pay a good deal of attention to the old man?" "Leave--Saltinville?" "Yes; I am sick of the place. I must go right away." "Stop a moment! Hold your tongue! There is that scoundrel, Rockley, with his gang." In effect, a group of officers came along in the opposite direction, and, but for the disposition shown them to avoid a quarrel, their offensive monopolisation of the whole of the path would have resulted in an altercation. "I shall have to cripple that fellow," said Mellersh, as they walked on, after turning out into the road in passing the group. "I wonder young Denville does not shoot him for his goings on with his sister." "Mellersh!" "I can't help it, Dick; I must speak out. Rockley is indefatigable there. The fellow is bewitched with her, and is always after her." "It's a lie!" exclaimed Linnell. "Call me a liar if you like, Dick, my lad. I shan't send you a challenge. Plenty of people will satisfy you as to the truth of what I say, and I speak thus plainly because I am weary of seeing you so infatuated with Claire Denville." Linnell tried to draw his arm away, but the Colonel retained it. "No, no, my dear boy, we cannot quarrel," he said. "It is impossible. But about this going away. Right. I would go. It will cure you." "Cure me?" said Linnell bitterly. "Yes, cure you. Dick, my boy, it makes me mad to see you so blind--to see you let a woman who looks guileless lead you--Well, I'll say no more. I cannot believe in Claire Denville any more than I can in her little innocent-looking jade of a sister." Linnell uttered an impatient ejaculation. "She goes about with a face as round-eyed as a baby's, and as smooth; while all the time I know--" Linnell turned to him a look so full of agony that he ceased on the instant, but began again. "I cannot help it, Dick," he said. "It worries me to see you growing so listless over a passion for a woman who does not care a straw for you." "If I could believe that," said Linnell, "I could bear it; but I am tortured by doubts, and every friend I have seems to be bent upon blackening the reputation of a woman who has been cruelly maligned." Mellersh began to whistle softly, and then said, sharply: "What! going in here?" "Yes; will you come?" "No," said Mellersh, giving him a curious look. "Expect a letter? Tut-tut, man, don't eat me. You would not be the first man who made a post-office of Miss Clode's circulating library. What is it, then-- fiddle-strings?" Linnell nodded.