"Why what is the matter, Nurse?"

"There's one of those soldiers, ma'am,
playing the fiddle, and another, they call
Pierre, had the audacity to put his arm about
my waist. And they have been and pushed
the kitchen-table on one side, and put the
chairs all in a heap, to polka, Louise says. But
they shall not insult a respectable woman of
my time of life, sir, I can tell them! I've
had no good of those girls ever since they
came into the house, sir!"

We all jumped up and hurried to the
kitchen. There was a tolerable space cleared
for action, by the piling up of chairs and
tables on one side. In a corner stood the
violinist, his face puckered into an expression
of complete enjoyment, while the offending
Pierre, and his companion, were whirling
the two French servant girls round in a rapid
waltz, and the English children's maid was
looking on, with somewhat of an envious
glance. A happier party, I have seldom seen.
Far from being dismayed by our appearance,
the dancers merely paused to welcome us,
evidently expecting we would join, in the
amusement.

"The corporal would be here immediately,
and then Mademoiselle (the nurse maid),
would have a partner, also."

"But," said the host to Madeleine, "What
is this that I hear Nurse complain of. She
says Pierre insulted her?"

"O, sir, quite different. He speaks no
English, and he wished to pay Madame
the compliment of asking her to begin the
waltz."

In vain this was explained to Nurse. "No!
she was not to be palavered in that way."
So her master out of patience with her
told her she was a ridiculous old woman.

The dancing went on with great spirit,
for the musician, Albert Caillet, was a
proficient. The children were allowed to
join, and all went merrily. At last Harry
crept up to me slipping his hand into mine.

"The poor little corporal," he said.

"What is the matter with him?"

"He is writing in the cold loft on a trunk,
with such a little candle. It is to his mother.
Do ask papa to let me take him down into
the school-room, which is nice and warm.''

"Certainly, you may," said papa, and Harry
vanished.

When I thought the corporal had had time
to complete his letters I strolled into the
school room, bent on gratifying my curiosity.
He was still bent over the paper. I could
not help noticing the contour of his head,
which in spite of the disfiguring military crop
was clearly that of a gentleman.

He looked up as I entered. " Pardon me,"
I said, "for interrupting you—"

"Not interrupting. I have finished. I
have to thank you for your courtesy in
suffering me to write here. It is what you call
comfortable."

"Nay, I am but a guest here like yourself.
But you write while your comrades are
dancing, and a partner waits for you."

"Ah! the pretty little lady's maid,"' said he,
folding his letter." I had nearly forgotten
her. A piece of unpardonable neglect."

There was such an indescribable air of
superiority in his tone and manner, that I
involuntarily exclaimed:

"Surely you must be of a far different class
to your companions!"

"Ah! yes," he replied, with a smile and a
sigh. "I am the first of the Fontares, who
ever came into the army in so humble a
grade. Nevertheless there is no use in
lamenting. I was drawn in the conscription.
My mother had not the means of purchasing
a substitute, my sister wept, I whispered to
myself 'Courage!' and here I am."

"But what a terrible thing it must be for
an educated gentleman to be obliged to
associate with common soldiers."

"Nay, my comrades are good fellows, a
little off-hand it is true, but under the
gentleman there is a man, which finds its like in
other men. I am already a corporal, my
education and my conduct shall soon give me
another step. An epaulette is not far off, and
should this war continue, we shall be sent to
the Crimea in our turn, and then, and then—"
he continued gazing on vacancy, and with his
hand grasping the air; "a marshal's bâton
is not wholly out of reach, nor is the
repose of a soldier's honoured grave,
contemptible. Then, sir, our colonel and two of
our captains are great friends of mine, but I
do not like to part myself too much from my
own proper comrades. No, I am far from
regretting the conscription. A French
soldier, if he has education, may aim at and
hope for, anything."

"Well, well, your spirit is admirable; but,
while here, it must be unpleasant for you to
be placed with the common soldiers. I will
mention your name and position to my friends,
and your stay shall be more agreeable."

"A thousand thanks, but I could not
consent to accept higher consideration than may
be accorded to my comrades. It would never
do. They would be grieved and offended,
and I should be but a poor wretch to elude
my position. No, no, let us be as we are,
saving that I have another pleasant
reminiscence in your kind consideration. I must
now go and make my peace with the pretty
lady's maid; a dance with her will not unfit
me to open a ball at the Tuileries with a
princess—when I am a marshal."

Our military guests remained with us four
days, during which time Nurse's fever
constantly abated. She remained, however,
almost to the last, on the alert, to detect any
undue amount of flirtation between the
damsels under her command and the youths of
the camp; making sudden, unexpected inroads
on the kitchen, after having been at some
pains to impress its occupants with the idea
that she was about to pass the next few hours