r so much rose in your cheeks, my darling," said he, kissing first
one and then the other, "I should be safe to get you green. You will be
lovely in blue. But of all, _except_ white, I think I should like you,
Diana, in royal red."

"I thought purple was the colour of kings and queens," Diana remarked,
trying to get back to her berries.

"Purple is poetical. I am certain a dark, rich red would be magnificent
on you; for it is you who will beautify the colour, not the colour you.
I shall get you the first stuff of that colour I see that is of the
right hue."

"Pray don't, Evan. Wait," said Diana, flushing more and more.

"Wait? I'll not wait a minute longer than till I see it. My beauty!
what a delight to get things for you--and with you! Officers' quarters
are sorry places sometimes, Diana; but won't it be fun for you and me
to work transformations, and make our own world; that is our own home?
What does Mrs. Starling think of me?"

"I have told her nothing, Evan, yet. She was so busy this morning, I
had not a good chance."

"I'll confront her when she comes home this evening."

"O no, Evan; leave it to me; I want to take a _good_ time. She will not
like it much anyhow."

"I don't see really how she should. I have sympathy--no, I haven't! I
haven't a bit. I am so full of my own side of the question, it is sheer
hypocrisy to pretend I have any feeling for anybody else. When will you
come down to Elmfield?"

"To Elmfield?" said Diana.

"To begin to learn to know them all. I want them to know you."

"You have not spoken to them about me?"

"No," said he, laughing; "but I mean to."

"Evan, don't say anything to anybody till mother has been told. Promise
me! That would not do."

"All's safe yet, Di. But make haste with your revelations; for I shall
be here to-morrow night and every night now, and astonish her; and it
isn't healthy for some people to be astonished. Besides, Di, my orders
will be here in a week or two; and then I must go."

"Do you like being under orders?" said Diana innocently.

Knowlton's grave face changed again; and laughing, he asked if _she_
did not like it? and how she would do when she would be a soldier's
wife, and so under _double_ orders? And he got into such a game of
merriment, at her and with her, that Diana did not know what to do with
herself or her berries either. How the berries got attended to is a
mystery; but it shows that the action of the mind can grow mechanical
wh