It was an indescribable pang that shot through the father's heart. His one treasure, his pearl of all the world, already did not "much care" where she went, so long as she could be with this youngster--put her hand in his, and go! "It may happen that I shall care," he said huskily. "What makes you think I will give her up to go anywhere?" "But you can go, too, you know, sir," Cadet Kindred answered, with that same calm tone which ignores the hard and cuts through the impossible. "We have talked about it a great deal." "It strikes me that a little of the talking should have come to me." "Yes, sir; but then you are so seldom alone--always reading or something on hand--it was hard to find a chance. And then you were sick. And I thought you must see for yourself. And then, if you didn't, it was such fun to puzzle you," Magnus said honestly. "So seldom alone," Mr. Erskine repeated rather bitterly. "I suppose it will be often enough in the future. No, do not say another word to me now. Take yourself off, young man, and get out of my sight, and give me a chance to draw my breath. My Cherry!" It was perhaps just as well for everybody that the two guests were still there, and the fun and frolic at high-water mark; the best intentions thereto, or even the justest cause, could not make anybody look grave or stiff or anxious. Therefore Mr. Erskine had time to study up his hard question unnoticed. "Question," indeed, it hardly was. Mr. Erskine knew, without thinking, that he loved Magnus Kindred like his own son; and it took very little awakened observation to show him that, on Cherry's part, the old childish affection had passed into the deepest and strongest that a woman can know. Reserved and self-contained as she always was, her father could see a hundred little tokens which he marvelled he had never noticed before. He watched Magnus, too, with very keen-set eyes, studied him, weighed him in all sorts of scales, and, on the whole, was well content. Just about as much of a boy as ever, only more of a man; gay, saucy, absurd, and sensible; but through it all now, in whatever touched Cherry, there was an indescribable tone of reverence which became him well, as it does any man who has won for himself the priceless trust of a true woman's love. His own love and devotion were patent enough. Magnus had certainly "taken it hard," as people say. The father noted it well, and judged it all of a quality that would wear.