"He'd be adorable, if he wasn't such a poke," said another. "I'd give more to see that man brought to terms!" "What terms?" "Unconditional surrender. Down on his knees." "Mr. Randolph is just behind him," said the first. "And Mr. Crane is fourth from the end in B Company." "Which is Mr. Kindred?" said Rose, turning to her. "Second man with the cross-belt. Do you know him?" said the young lady, much surprised. "I have met him several times." "Well, anybody who knows Magnus Kindred after meeting him 'several times,' may go up head," said Miss Saucy. "Is he a poke, too?" asked Violet, with a grave face. "No, he's too wicked for that," said Miss Cray. "Wicked?" said little Miss Wren. "Why, he's one in discipline all the time." "Well, he'd better be two, and have a few grains of civility," said Miss Cray. "Absolutely he left me all standing in the middle of the plain yesterday, just because that ridiculous drum chose to beat!" "But that was a very good way to be left," said Rose merrily. "Perhaps if you had been all falling, he would have stayed." "Fine idea to work up!" said another girl, laughing, but Miss Cray tossed her head. "Nobody cared, either way," she said. "How do _you_ know what 'perhaps' he would have done?" "Why, we are both his sisters," said Violet. And for once in her life Miss Cray was taken aback. "Fancy it!" she said. "Where are you staying?" "At the hotel." "We are at Cranston's. Who is your chaperon?" "Mrs. Ironwood." Which was better care than Miss Cray herself could boast, and so the force of circumstances dealt another blow. "Well, don't serve me out too large a slice of humble pie," she said. "I'm awfully fond of Mr. Kindred, myself. The trouble is, he's not so awfully fond of me. And wounded hearts, you know!" "If Mr. McLean were here, he'd say: 'Steady!'" remarked Miss Wren. "Do you know Mr. McLean, too?" she said, turning to Violet. "Yes." "Met _him_ 'several times'?" "Yes." "But you must come from the West?" "There are quite a number of people out there," said Violet. "And one can visit, even on a prairie," said Miss Cray politely. "But it seems so odd." Perhaps for a freer discussion of the oddity of things, that party moved away, and Mrs. Ironwood came back to her charge. But social duties still claimed her to such a degree that she hardly looked at the review, and not at all at the girls, for a good while. Then in some moment of silence, a soft, long-drawn breath made her turn her head.