s glass of wine, as was his
custom if times were reasonably good. While thus agreeably employed he
chanced to look across the road and perceived a little fringe of dark
hair, and a still darker eye, which surveyed him round the border of one
of the curtains which flanked a window opposite. The gallant major was
much interested in this apparition, and rose to make a closer inspection
of it, but, alas! before he could focus it with his eye-glass it was
gone! He bent his gaze resolutely in that direction for a long time,
and smoked at least half a dozen cigarettes, besides finishing the
bottle of wine; but although he thought he saw certain flittings and
whiskings of garments in the dark background of the opposite room, he
could not make out anything more definite.

Next day the soldier was on the look-out at the same hour, and was
rewarded by the appearance of two eyes, very mischievous and dangerous
ones too, which were set in a buxom and by no means unprepossessing
face. The lady who owned these charms looked very deliberately up the
street, and very deliberately down the street, after which she bethought
herself to look across the street, and started to perceive a stout,
middle-aged gentleman, with a fiery face, who was looking at her with an
expression of intense admiration. So much alarmed was she that she
vanished behind the curtains and the major feared that he would see her
no more. Fortunately, however, it became evident that the lady's alarm
was not very overpowering, for within five minutes she was back at the
window, where her eyes again fell upon the beaming face and jaunty
figure of the major, who had posed himself in a striking attitude, which
was somewhat marred by the fact that he was still enveloped in his
purple dressing-gown. This time her eyes lingered a little longer than
before and the suspicion of a smile appeared upon her features. On this
the major smiled and bowed, and she smiled also, showing a pretty little
line of white teeth as she did so. What the veteran's next move might
have been no one can tell, for the lady solved the problem by
disappearing, and this time permanently. He was very well satisfied,
however, and chuckled much to himself while arraying himself in his long
frock coat and immaculate collar before setting out for the club.
He had been a sly old dog in his day, and had followed Venus almost as
much as he had Mars during his chequered career.

All day the recollectio