e him; but to Bob's surprise he
showed no immediate contrition, and thus afforded no room for the
brotherly speech of forgiveness which Bob had been going to deliver. As
the trumpet-major did not open the subject, Bob felt it desirable to
begin himself.

'I have brought ye something that you will value, Jack,' he said, as they
sat at the window, overlooking the large square barrack-yard. 'I have
got no further use for it, and you should have had it before if it had
entered my head.'

'Thank you, Bob; what is it?' said John, looking absently at an awkward
squad of young men who were drilling in the enclosure.

''Tis a young woman's lock of hair.'

'Ah!' said John, quite recovering from his abstraction, and slightly
flushing. Could Bob and Anne have quarrelled? Bob drew the paper from
his pocket, and opened it.

'Black!' said John.

'Yes--black enough.'

'Whose?'

'Why, Matilda's.'

'O, Matilda's!'

'Whose did you think then?'

Instead of replying, the trumpet-major's face became as red as sunset,
and he turned to the window to hide his confusion.

Bob was silent, and then he, too, looked into the court. At length he
arose, walked to his brother, and laid his hand upon his shoulder.
'Jack,' he said, in an altered voice, 'you are a good fellow. Now I see
it all.'

'O no--that's nothing,' said John hastily.

'You've been pretending that you care for this woman that I mightn't
blame myself for heaving you out from the other--which is what I've done
without knowing it.'

'What does it matter?'

'But it does matter! I've been making you unhappy all these weeks and
weeks through my thoughtlessness. They seemed to think at home, you
know, John, that you had grown not to care for her; or I wouldn't have
done it for all the world!'

'You stick to her, Bob, and never mind me. She belongs to you. She
loves you. I have no claim upon her, and she thinks nothing about me.'

'She likes you, John, thoroughly well; so does everybody; and if I hadn't
come home, putting my foot in it-- That coming home of mine has been a
regular blight upon the family! I ought never to have stayed. The sea
is my home, and why couldn't I bide there?'

The trumpet-major drew Bob's discourse off the subject as soon as he
could, and Bob, after some unconsidered replies and remarks, seemed
willing to avoid it for the present. He did not ask John to accompany
him home, as he had intended; and on leaving the barracks turne