ps; and Mr.
Aubrey Spencer May, for whom I have found a rifle, and am expected to
find a uniform as soon as the wise heads have settled what colour will
be most becoming.'

'Becoming! No, papa!' indignantly shouted Aubrey: 'it is the colour
that will be most invisible in skirmishing.'

'Gray, faced with scarlet,' said Hector, decidedly.

'Yes, that is the colour of the invincible Dorsets,' said Dr. May.
'There you see our great authority with his military instructions in
his hand.'

'No, sir,' replied Hector, 'it's not military instructions, it is
Crauford's General Orders.'

'And,' added the Doctor, 'there's his bride working the colours, and
Mary wanting to emulate her.'

'I don't think George will ever permit us to have colours,' said Ethel;
'he says that Rifles have no business with them, for that they are of
no use to skirmishers.'

'The matter has been taken out of George's hands,' said Aubrey; 'there
would not have been a volunteer in the country if he had his way.'

'Yes,' explained Ethel, 'the real soldier can't believe in volunteers,
nor cavalry in infantry; but he is thoroughly in for it now.'

'Owing to his Roman matron' quoth Tom. 'It was a wonderful opening for
public spirit when Lady Walkinghame insisted on Sir Henry refusing the
use of the park for practice, for fear we should make targets of the
children. So the Spartan mother at Abbotstoke, gallantly setting
Margaret aside, sent for the committee at once to choose the very best
place in the park.'

'Papa is chairman of the committee,' added Aubrey, 'he is mayor this
year, so we must encourage it.'

'And Aubrey hit four times at a hundred yards,' triumphantly declared
Gertrude, 'when Edward Anderson and Henry Ward only got a ball in by
accident.'

'Henry Ward ought to be shot at himself,' was Aubrey's sentiment, 'for
not letting Leonard be in the corps.'

'The fellow that you brought to Maplewood?' asked Hector. 'I thought
he was at school.'

'Didn't you know that old Hoxton has given leave to any of the sixth
form to drill and practise? and that trumpery fellow, Henry, says he
can't afford the outfit, though his sister would have given the
uniform.'

'Let me tell you, young folks,' said the Doctor, 'that you are not to
suppose it always hails crack rifles on all sorts of improved systems,
as it does when Captain Hector is in the house.'

'They are only on trial, sir,' apologized Hector.

'Very odd then that they all have an