orning."

"It sounds just like him, however," said Mrs. Rayner, "and I made
inquiry before speaking of it. He said he meant to invite Mr. Hayne to
his house to-morrow evening, and if the infantry didn't like it they
could stay away."

"Well, now, Mrs. Rayner," protested Mr. Foster, "of course none of us
heard what he said exactly, but it is my experience that no conversation
was ever repeated without being exaggerated, and I've known old Gregg
for ever so long, and never heard him say a sharp thing yet. Why, he's
the mildest-mannered fellow in the whole ----th Cavalry. He would never
get into such a snarl as that would bring about him in five minutes."

"Well, he said he would do just as the colonel did, anyway,--we have
that straight from cavalry authority,--and we all know what the colonel
has done. He has chosen to honor Mr. Hayne in the presence of the
officers who denounce him, and practically defies the opinion of the
Riflers."

"But, Mrs. Rayner, I did not understand Gregg's remarks to be what you
say, exactly. Blake told me that when asked by somebody whether he was
going to call on Mr. Hayne, Gregg simply replied he didn't know,--he
would ask the colonel."

"Very well. That means, he proposes to be guided by the colonel, or
nothing at all; and Captain Gregg is simply doing what the others will
do. They say to us, in so many words, 'We prefer the society of your
_bete noire_ to your own.' That's the way I look at it," said Mrs.
Rayner, in deep excitement.

It was evident that, though none were prepared to endorse so extreme a
view, there was a strong feeling that the colonel had put an affront
upon the Riflers by his open welcome to Mr. Hayne. He had been exacting
before, and had caused a good deal of growling among the officers and
comment among the women. They were ready to find fault, and here was
strong provocation. Mr. Foster was a youth of unfortunate and unpopular
propensities. He should have held his tongue, instead of striving to
stem the tide.

"I don't uphold Hayne any more than you do, Mrs. Rayner, but it seems to
me this is a case where the colonel has to make some acknowledgment of
Mr. Hayne's conduct--"

"Very good. Let him write him a letter, then, thanking him in the name
of the regiment, but don't pick him up like this in the face of ours,"
interrupted one of the juniors, who was seated near Miss Travers (a wise
stroke of policy: Mrs. Rayner invited him to breakfast); and there was a