to me, too, but luckily they didn't seem to
expect me to talk to them much, so I didn't. More and more cadets kept
coming over from camp, and joining our group, and being introduced in
agreeable droves, until I gave up even trying to remember their names.

There was one, though, in the first batch of five, whose name was easy
to get hold of and keep in mind, because it was Smith. Besides, he was
the best looking of all, which made classifying him a real pleasure.

The girls who spoke to Mr. Smith called him "Captain," perhaps
jokingly, and I asked how he could be a captain and yet a cadet, unless
it meant cricket. Then he explained that the cadets had all the
different grades of officers, from Adjutant and Captain down to
Sergeant, and wanted to know if there were any other questions I would
care to ask. I said that there were, lots, but I wasn't sure if I
might.

"I give you a permit," said he, in a military way.

So I began with the buttons. "I should like to know why you have so
many--all those rows on your jackets; and it's only the middle row you
seem to use for anything."

"We use the others to give away to girls, to remember us by," answered
my cadet. "It's forbidden, but that's a detail. Or rather it's why the
girls like to have them."

I stared. "None of yours are missing."

"Most of 'em are pinned on at present. It's that way with all of us.
Our Plebs sew 'em on for us at night, and use the door for a thimble."

"Oh, what are Plebs, if you please? Are you allowed valets?"

"I guess they call 'em fags in your country. There are a lot of them
lying around. Shall I have some caught and dragged here? They might
squirm a bit, as they aren't used to ladies' society, but----"

I hastily protested against such a cruel exhibition, and went on with
my questions. I asked what they did in winter, and how long they had to
be cadets, and whether they were in a hurry to be officers.

"Not as long as the girls can put up with us as we are," said my cadet.
"Some of them even pretend they like us better."

"I can quite understand that!" I exclaimed. And then they all laughed,
and some of them applauded.

"The _really_ important question is," said Captain or Mr. Smith,
"whether you are going to be an officers' or a cadets' lady."

I hadn't an idea what he meant, but I remembered Vic's saying that in
the lower middle classes they sometimes call a man's wife his "lady."
Perhaps, I thought, the expression had been b