he
dance. I dare say they are something that belongs especially to a
woman, and that a man would not know them."

Thorold turned on me again a wonderfully gentle look, for a gay, fiery
young Vermonter, as I knew him to be.

"It wanted only that!" he said. "And the orders, Miss Randolph--what
'orders' are you expecting? You said orders."

"Orders may be given by a sign," I said. "They need not be in words."

He smiled. "I see, you have studied the subject."

"I mean, only, that whenever a duty is plainly put before
me--something given me to do--I know I have 'orders' to do it. And
then, Mr. Thorold, as the orders are not spoken, nor brought to me by
a messenger, only made known to me by a sign of some sort--If I did
not keep a good watch, I should be sure to miss the sign sometimes,
don't you see?"

"This is soldiership!" said Thorold. And getting up, he stood before
me in attitude like a soldier as he was, erect, still with arms
folded, only not up to his chin, like Capt. Percival, but folded
manfully. He had been watching me very intently; now he stood as
intently looking off over the farther landscape. Methought I had a
sort of pride in his fine appearance; and yet he did in no wise belong
to me. Nevertheless, it was pleasant to see the firm, still attitude,
the fine proportions, the military nicety of all his dress, which I
had before noticed on the parade ground. For as there is a difference
between one walk and another, though all trained, so there is a
difference between one neatness and another, though all according to
regulation: and Preston never looked like this.

He turned round at last, and smiled down at me.

"Are you rested?"

"O yes!" I said, rising. "I was not fatigued."

"Are you tired talking?"

"No, not at all. Have I talked so very much?"

He laughed at that, but went on.

"Will you be out of patience with my stupidity?"

I said no.

"Because I am not fully enlightened yet. I want to ask further
questions; and asking questions is very impertinent."

"Not if you have leave," I said. "Ask what you like."

"I am afraid, nevertheless. But I can never know, if I do not ask. How
is it--this is what puzzles me--that other people who call themselves
Christians do not think as you do about this matter?"

"Soldiership?" I asked.

"Well, yes. It comes to that, I suppose."

"You know what soldiership ought to be," I said.

"But one little soldier cannot be all the rank and file of thi