as they sat together in the old, panelled
parlour in the soft light of the shaded lamp, the talk turned naturally
and sweetly on Valentine--on all that he used to say and do; and Jack
told as best he could the story of the desert march, and of that last
sad parting on the river's brink. After he had finished, there was a
silence; then Barbara picked up the piece of work she had laid down.

"So you didn't find war quite such a jolly thing as you used to think
it would be?" she said, looking across at him with a tearful smile.

"No," he answered thoughtfully. "I suppose things that you have long
set your mind on seldom turn out exactly what you want and expect them
to be. I'm glad I saw active service, and I'd go through it all again
a hundred times for the sake of having been with Valentine when he
died; though it was little I could do for him, more than to say
good-bye."

Queen Mab rose from her chair, and stooped over the speaker to wish him
good-night.

"Never mind," she said softly. "I'm glad to think of both my boys that
their warfare is accomplished!"

CHAPTER XXII

CONCLUSION.

"I never dreamed of such happiness as this while I was an ugly
duckling!"--_The Ugly Duckling_.

The old house at Brenlands still remains unaltered, except that the
empty room upstairs, once the scene of so many terrible conflicts
between miniature metal armies, has been turned into a nursery.
Another generation of children is growing up now, and eagerly they
listen while Aunt Mabel tells the old story of the tin soldier who went
adventuring in a paper boat, and came back in the end to the place from
which he had started; or the history of the little lead captain, who
stands keeping guard over the precious things in the treasure cupboard;
and who once, after bearing the brunt of a long engagement, fell in
front of his men, just as the fighting ended.

When the nursery is in use, a long-forgotten little gateway makes its
appearance at the top of the stairs, and "Uncle Jack" pays toll through
the bars to the chubby little Helen standing on the other side.

Queen Mab tries to make out that she is growing older; but her
courtiers will not believe it, and go so far as to scoff at and hide
her spectacle case, declaring that her wearing glasses is only a
pretence.

But though Brenlands and its queen may seem the same as ever, many of
those connected with it in our story have experienced changes, of which
some mention sho