rned from India with a new scar on the right shoulder to
balance the old scar on the left, and with a letter from the
Commander-in-Chief, which he is too modest to show to his friends and
too proud to show to his enemies, if he has any--_Colonel_ George
Fitzdenys."

And the younger man came forward, tall, lean, wiry, and erect as the
Corporal himself. He wore the moustache which showed him to be a Light
Dragoon, and looked every inch a soldier; but though he could not have
been more than three or four and thirty, he had the sad expression of a
man who has found the years long. Still bronzed and brown though his
face was, he blushed just a little as he caught his father's proud
glance at him, and bent in his turn over Lady Eleanor's hand.

"Welcome back, Colonel Fitzdenys," she said very quietly; "we have not
lost sight of you in the Gazettes through all these years; and you are
quite recovered from your wound, I hope."

"Wound! it was nothing," he said, "an arrow in the shoulder which your
boy would have laughed at."

And then Lady Eleanor beckoned to the children to come up; and old Lord
Fitzdenys gave Dick two fingers and Elsie one, for he said that if her
hand was like her mother's it could not hold more. But Colonel George
gave Dick his whole hand, and bent down to kiss Elsie's as he had
kissed her mother's, which won her little heart completely.

[Illustration: Bent down to kiss Elsie's as he had kissed her mother's.]

"Now, my dear lady," said the old gentleman, "I must ask you for the
favour of a few minutes' private conversation."

"And I will stay with the children," said Colonel George, "for I want
to make friends again."

Dick and Elsie were a little shy at being left alone with a stranger;
but before he could say a word to them the Corporal appeared leading
the pony towards the stable. He saluted Colonel Fitzdenys, and was
going on, but the Colonel at once called to him by name and shook his
hand warmly, while the Corporal beamed with pleasure, and said how glad
he was to see his honour returned in good health.

"Oh! do you know the Corporal?" asked Dick timidly.

"Know the Corporal?" said Colonel George. "I should think I did know
him, and a fine, brave fellow he is. Why, he saved my life once, he
and your father. I was lieutenant in your father's troop, and at the
very first skirmish in which we were engaged in the war, I was hit
here, in the shoulder, so that I could not hold my reins.