e leave Euralia!

How good to see Hyacinth again! Poor little Hyacinth left all alone;
but there! she had had the Countess Belvane, a woman of great
experience, to help her. Belvane! Should he risk it? How much had
she thought of him while he was away? Hyacinth would be growing up
and getting married soon. Life would be lonely in Euralia then,
unless---- Should he risk it?

What would Hyacinth say?

She was waiting for him at the gates of the castle. She had wanted
Coronel to wait with her, but he had refused.

[Illustration: _As the towers of the Castle came in sight, Merriwig
drew a deep breath of happiness_]

"We must offer the good news to him gradually," he said. "When a man
has just come back from a successful campaign, he doesn't want to find
a surprise like this waiting for him. Just think--we don't even know
why the war is over--he must be longing to tell you that. Oh, he'll
have a hundred things to tell you first; but then, when he says 'And
what's been happening here while I've been away? Nothing much, I
suppose?' then you can say----"

"Then I shall say, 'Nothing much; only Coronel.' And such a clever!"

"Oh, I have my ideas," said Coronel. "Well, I'll be out of the way
somewhere. I think I'll go for a walk in the forest. Or shall I stay
here, in the Countess's garden, and amuse myself with Udo? Anyhow,
I'll give you an hour alone together first."

The cavalcade drew up in front of the castle. Handkerchiefs fluttered
to them from the walls; trumpets were blown; hounds bayed. Down the
steps came Hyacinth, all blue and gold, and flung herself into her
father's arms.

"My dear child," said Merriwig as he patted her soothingly. "There,
there! It's your old father come back again. H'r'm. There, there!"
He patted her again, as though it were she and not himself who was in
danger of breaking down. "My little Hyacinth! My own little girl!"

"Oh, Father, I _am_ glad to have you back."

"There, there, my child. Now I must just say a few words to my men,
and then we can tell each other all that has been happening."

He took a step forward and addressed his troops.

"Men of Euralia (_cheers_). We have returned from a long and arduous
conflict (_cheers_) to the embraces (_loud cheers_) of our mothers and
wives and daughters (_prolonged cheering_)--as the case may be (_hear,
hear_). In honour of our great victory I decree that, from now
onwards, to-morrow shall be observed as a hol