Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 126.djvu/161

Rh himself for the indiscretion. What a vain simple creature she must think him! With her penetration she must have found out by this time in what small account a native-infantry officer was held, and must be laughing at his simple talk about a crack corps.

"There seems such a reality about the soldier's life here," continued the young lady; "one feels quite as if living in a camp. All the officers seem to have medals," — then noticing that there was no decoration on her companion's breast, she added quickly, "at least those who have not are sure, I suppose, to have opportunities for distinction sooner or later? "

"Oh no, there is no chance of any such luck," replied the youngster, bitterly; "there are no enemies left to fight now. No, Miss Cunningham, I am afraid we subs have joined too late for any honour and glory. The only thing left for a fellow nowadays, if he cannot get into the irregular cavalry or the quartermaster-general's department, is civil employ, or even the public works; anything is better than regimental duty."

"Leave the army? " asked Miss Cunningham, turning round and looking at him full in the face; when something in his earnest glance made her turn her eyes away again. Then she added in a lower voice, and looking straight before her, "The army is such a noble profession!"

Yorke felt ready to register a vow that he would stick to the regiment come what might, but he bethought him to rejoin —

"Look at Colonel Falkland, he is in civil employ, and yet there is not a finer soldier in the army."

"What is that about Colonel Falkland?" said a musical voice, while at the same time a hand was laid on his shoulder, and looking up he saw that the speaker was Colonel Falkland himself.

"I was reproaching Mr. Yorke for want of military spirit, because he talked of leaving the army," said Miss Cunningham, archly, "and he cited you as a precedent; but you have not left the army, surely?"

"Our young friend's aspirations are very natural," said the colonel, smiling kindly; "we military civilians get all the loaves and fishes in peace-time, and then when campaigning is going on we fall back into our old places, and are very much in the way of our brother officers, I am afraid, who have been doing all the dull work in peace-time."

"No, I didn't mean that, sir," broke in the youngster; "but Miss Cunningham misunderstood me: I wouldn't leave the army for the world; but I was just going to explain how you were in civil employ and yet had served in all the campaigns too, and had got your brevet for the Sutlej, and another step and a C.B. for —"

"Just what I was saying," replied the colonel, laughing; "only you put it in a more generous way. We lucky fellows come in for all the good things on both sides; but your turn will come too, I don't doubt. Every man gets his chance in India if he is only ready for it. But here is another lucky person, Olivia, for he is coming to claim you for a dance." Then, as an officer of the staff led Miss Cunningham away to a quadrille. Colonel Falkland fell to questioning our subaltern about himself — asked him if he had passed in the language, and whether there was the full number of absentee officers in his regiment, or if there were still room for one of those now with it to obtain an appointment.

Yorke explained that there was already the full number of seven absentees, besides those on furlough; and, led away by the colonel's sympathetic interest in his affairs, he went on to say that he had passed in Hindustani, and was hard at work studying military science, so as to be ready for anything that might turn up. "But then you see, sir," he added, "there isn't much chance of an opening, for Braddon is sure to have the first vacancy. They can't keep a man like him on regimental duty forever; it's over two years since he was sent back to the regiment."

"Braddon?" said the colonel. "So he belongs to your regiment? Of course, I ought to have remembered that he did. Is he here to-night? I don't recognize his face."

"Oh no, he never shows in public unless he's obliged. You can't expect a man to go about much under such circumstances."

"Tell me," asked the colonel, after a pause — "I don't want to force confidence, but I should be very glad to know if he is going on steadily."

"No fear about him, sir," replied Yorke, stoutly. "And he will come to the front again one of these days, you will see. There is not a finer officer of