and Mrs. Cram to receive for me, when your orderly
came. And, colonel, I want your advice about the champagne. Of course I
needn't say I hope you both will honor me with your presence." Old Brax
loved champagne and salad better than anything his profession afforded,
and was disarmed at once. As for Cram, what could he say when the post
commander dropped the matter? With all his daring disregard of orders
and established customs, with all his consummate _sang-froid_ and what
some called impudence and others "cheek," every superior under whom he
had ever served had sooner or later become actually fond of Sam
Waring,--even stern old Rounds,--"old Double Rounds" the boys called
him, one of the martinets of the service, whose first experience with
the fellow was as memorable as it was unexpected, and who wound up,
after a vehement scoring of some two minutes' duration, during which
Waring had stood patiently at attention with an expression of the
liveliest sympathy and interest on his handsome face, by asking
impressively, "Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?"

To which, with inimitable mixture of suavity and concern, Sam replied,
"Nothing whatever, sir. I doubt if anything more could be said. I had no
adequate idea of the extent of my misdoing. Have I your permission to
sit down, sir, and think it over?"

Rounds actually didn't know what to think, and still less what to say.
Had he believed for an instant that the young gentleman was insincere,
he would have had him in close arrest in the twinkling of an eye; but
Waring's tone and words and manner were those of contrition itself. It
was not possible that one of the boys should dare to be guying him, the
implacable Rounds, "old Grand Rounds" of the Sixth Corps, old Double
Rounds of the horse-artillery of the Peninsula days. Mrs. Rounds had her
suspicions when told of the affair, but was silent, for of all the
officers stationed in and around the old Southern city Sam Waring was by
long odds the most graceful and accomplished dancer and german leader,
the best informed on all manner of interesting matters,--social,
musical, dramatic, fashionable,--the prime mover in garrison hops and
parties, the connecting link between the families of the general and
staff officers in town and the linesmen at the surrounding posts, the
man whose dictum as to a dinner or luncheon and whose judgment as to a
woman's toilet were most quoted and least questioned, the man whose word
cou