r brother's past you would not be asking what an ancient's
sorrow at his own lost strength might mean. Oh, man, man! make a
pretence at spirit even if the Almighty denied it to you!"

He tossed the letter from him, almost in his brother's face.

The Paymaster held his anger in leash. He was incapable of comprehending
and he was, too, afraid. With a forced laugh, he pressed the creases
from the document.

"Oh, I'm glad enough to see the corps," said he, "if that's what you
mean. If I have not your honours from the Army, I'm as fond of Geordie's
uniform as any man of my years. I'll get the best billets in the town
for----"

The Cornal scowled and interjected, "Ay, ay, and you'll make all the
fraca that need be about the lads, and cock your hat to the fife, and
march and act the veteran as if you were Moore himself, but you'll
be far away from knowing what of their pomp and youth is stirring the
hearts of your brother Dugald and me. The Army is all bye for us, Jock,
Boney's by the heels; there's younger men upon the roster if the foreign
route is called again in the barrack yard."

His glance fell upon Gilian, wide-eyed, wonderful, in the shade beside
Miss Mary's chair, and he turned to him with a different accent.

"There _you_ are!" said he, "my wan-faced warlock. What would Colin
Campbell, Commander of the Bath, not give to be your age again and all
the world before him? Do you say your prayers at night, laddie, before
you go to your naked bed in the garret? I'll warrant Mary taught you
that if she taught you nothing else. Pray every night then that Heaven
may give you thew and heart and a touch of the old Hielan' glory that
this mechanic body by my side has got through the world wanting. Oh,
laddie, laddie, what a chance is yours! To hear the drum in the morning
and see the sun glint on the line; to sail away and march with pipe or
bugle in foreign countries; to have a thousand good companions round
about the same camp-fires and know the lift and splendour of parades in
captured towns. It's all bye for me; I'm an old pensioner rotting to the
tomb in a landward burgh packed with relics like myself, and as; God's
in heaven, I often wish I was with brother Jamie yonder fallen in my
prime with a clod stopping the youth and spirit in my throat."

"Tut, tut, now we're in our flights!" said the Paymaster, not very
audibly, so that in his transport the Cornal never heard.

"_Are_ you for the Army?" asked the Cornal, li