Well, somehow, in all this the young ladies had been drawing nearer and
nearer to the bowling-green, where the young officers were skylarking and
trundling the bowls at the fat major at three shots a penny, and the pool
going to the player who caught him on the ankles. When they were tired of
this they came strolling forth in a body, the most of them with arms
linked, just as Susannah appeared at the end of the path carrying a tray
piled with tea-things.

"Hallo! Petticoats, begad!" said the youngest ensign among them; and
Ma'amselle Julie, linking an arm in Miss Sophia's, was turning away with a
proper show of ignorance that any such thing as a party of young men
existed in the world, when a voice cried out--

"Julie!"

"Eh?" the lady turned, all white in the face. "Eh? What--Edoo-ard?
My cousin Edoo-ard?"

"Dear Julie!" It was the young French officer, and he ran and caught her
by both hands and kissed them. "To think of meeting you, here in England!
But let me introduce my friends--my friends the enemy." And here he
rattled off their names in a hurry.

"Really, one would suppose that Dr. Clatworthy was lost!" said Miss Sophia
with a cold-seeming bow and a glance along the path.

"You have ordered tea here?" asked the young naval lieutenant,
Mr. Hardcastle.

"There _was_ to have been tea."

"I do hope, miss," said he, "that we are not ousting you from your table?"

"To tell the truth," said Miss Sophia, "I know nothing about the
arrangements. A gentleman was to have been here to receive us--indeed we
have come at his invitation; but he is in no hurry, it seems."

"Indeed, miss," put in Susannah, "and I'm sure I don't know what to do!
The gentlemen, here, have engaged the big summer-house, which holds forty
at a pinch, and there's no other place that'll seat more than half a
dozen. Of course," said she, "the two parties could sit at the long
table, one at each end--"

But here young Mr. Hardcastle, after a glance at Miss Julie and her young
Frenchman--that were already deep in talk together--cut Susannah short
with a sly wink. He was a lad of great presence of mind, and rose in
later life to be an Admiral.

"Ladies," said he, "I feel sure that if we leave the arrangements entirely
to this good woman, your worthy squire--whenever he chooses to put in an
appearance--will find nothing to complain of."

Well, well . . . I can't tell you just how it happened: but happen it did,
and I daresay you