ill find there sweetmeats for all
tastes, some perhaps a little spoilt by keeping!"

"You know very well, Patsy, that I shall never care about any other girl
than yourself. I never have and I never shall!"

"I bet you six pairs of Limerick gloves that you will not be able to say
as much for yourself in six months," cried Patsy.

"Done with you, Patsy," said Louis, "and you may as well pay now, for I
am not going to change my mind."

"That I shall wait and see. But beware, I shall have the best of
information. We are not of the Duke's party, and do not go to their
entertainments, but we hear all that goes on nevertheless."

"I only go because of my service," said Louis, somewhat dishonestly;
"the Duke of York, who is once more Commander-in-Chief, has put me on
his staff."

"Ah," said Patsy, unkindly, "like master, like man! It is a good
proverb."

"Patsy," mourned Louis, leaning forward with his head between his hands
in a very unmartial manner, "you know better than that. You forget the
White Loch and our ride home to Castle Raincy. You went with me because
you trusted me. You took my word about my grandfather liking you to come
to him for safety, and now you--you treat me as if I were a child."

"A child--why, so you are--a dear, nice boy, and I love you, and see, I
will pat you on the head!"

The officer of his Majesty instantly put himself into such a boyish
posture of defence that Patsy laughed.

"So you don't want to be patted on the head--well, then, it shan't! But
all the same I have not forgotten--neither what you did, nor what was
done for us both by your comrade of the White Water--by the way, have
you heard from him lately?"

"Not I," said Louis, almost fiercely, "but I make no doubt that you
have! You would not offer to pat Stair Garland on the head? He is a man,
you know--you said it yourself."

"Louis," said Patsy, "you are not acting up to your uniform. I have no
conventions with you, and you have no claim to know with whom it may
please me to correspond--"

Louis rose to his feet with a very pale face, but before he had time to
put his anger into words, a servant announced--

"His Highness the Prince of Altschloss!"

Patsy advanced, smiling and held out her hand. She seemed to walk right
through poor Louis, who felt himself terribly belittled and ill-used.
The Prince did all the things naturally and gracefully, which Louis had
so blundered over. He gratified the young dragoon with the