maining behind to talk with his friend of Westerham. Mr. Wolfe walked
by him for a while, very erect, silent, and cold.

"I have not seen you these many days," says Harry.

"You have had other companions," remarks Mr. Wolfe, curtly.

"But I had rather be with you than any of them," cries the young man.

"Indeed I might be better company for you than some of them," says the
other.

"Is it Captain Batts you mean?" asked Harry.

"He is no favourite of mine, I own; he bore a rascally reputation when
he was in the army, and I doubt has not mended it since he was turned
out. You certainly might find a better friend than Captain Batts. Pardon
the freedom which I take in saying so," says Mr. Wolfe, grimly.

"Friend! he is no friend: he only teaches me to play tennis: he is
hand-in-glove with my lord, and all the people of fashion here who
play."

"I am not a man of fashion," says Mr. Wolfe.

"My dear Colonel, what is the matter? Have I angered you in any way? You
speak almost as if I had, and I am not conscious of having done anything
to forfeit your regard," said Mr. Warrington.

"I will be free with you, Mr. Warrington," said the Colonel, gravely,
"and tell you with frankness that I don't like some of your friends!"

"Why, sure, they are men of the first rank and fashion in England,"
cries Harry, not choosing to be offended with his companion's bluntness.

"Exactly, they are men of too high rank and too great fashion for a
hard-working poor soldier like me; and if you continue to live with
such, believe me, you will find numbers of us humdrum people can't
afford to keep such company. I am here, Mr. Warrington, paying my
addresses to an honourable lady. I met you yesterday openly walking with
a French ballet-dancer, and you took off your hat. I must frankly tell
you, that I had rather you would not take off your hat when you go out
in such company."

"Sir," said Mr. Warrington, growing very red, "do you mean that I am to
forgo the honour of Colonel Wolfe's acquaintance altogether?"

"I certainly shall request you to do so when you are in company with
that person," said Colonel Wolfe, angrily; but he used a word not to be
written at present, though Shakespeare puts it in the mouth of Othello.

"Great heavens! what a shame it is to speak so of any woman!" cries
Mr. Warrington. "How dare any man say that that poor creature is not
honest?"

"You ought to know best, sir," says the other, looking at Harry with
som