o well."

"God grant it! Who writes?"

"Norman Graham of Glendhu--captain in his K. K. Regiment of
Volunteer Dragoons. That's his great friend! Oh, sir, he has
behaved so gallantly! He got his wound in saving the colours from
the Turks, and kept his hands clutched over them as his men carried
him out of the battle."

Philip gave another little spring, and his grandfather bade Anne
read the letter to him in detail.

It told how the Imperial forces had met a far superior number of
Turks at Lippa, and had sustained a terrible defeat, with the loss
of their General Veterani, how Captain Archfield had received a
scimitar wound in the cheek while trying to save his commander, but
had afterwards dashed forward among the enemy, recovered the colours
of the regiment, and by a desperate charge of his fellow-soldiers,
who were devotedly attached to him, had been borne off the field
with a severe wound on the left side. Retreat had been immediately
necessary, and he had been taken on an ammunition waggon along rough
roads to the fortress called the Iron Gates of Transylvania, whence
this letter was written, and sent by the messenger who was to summon
the Elector of Saxony to the aid of the remnant of the army. It had
not yet been possible to probe the wound, but Charles gave a
personal message, begging his parents not to despond but to believe
him recovering, so long as they did not see his servant return
without him, and he added sundry tender and dutiful messages to his
parents, and a blessing to his son, with thanks for the pretty
letter he had not been able to answer (but which, his friend said,
was lying spread on his pillow, not unstained with blood), and he
also told his boy always to love and look up to her who had ever
been as a mother to him. Anne could hardly read this, and the scrap
in feeble irregular lines she handed to Sir Philip. It was--

With all my heart I entreat pardon for all the errors that have
grieved you. I leave you my child to comfort you, and mine own
true love, whom yon will cherish. She will cherish you as a
daughter, as she will be, with your consent, if God spares me to
come home. The love of all my soul to her, my mother, sister,
and you."

There was a scrawl for conclusion and signature, and Captain Graham
added--

Writing and dictating have greatly exhausted him. He would have
said more, but he says the lady can explain much, and he repeats
his urgent entreaties that you wi