ing, leaving his daughters to inspect themselves.

"You may just say exactly what you consider right, dear," said Miss
Dolly Darling to her sister Faith; "and I dare say it makes you more
comfortable. But you know as well as I do, that there is no reason in
it. Father is a darling; but he must be wrong sometimes. And how can
he tell whether he is wrong or right, when he goes away fifty miles
to attend to other people? Of course I would never disobey his orders,
anymore than you would. But facts change according to circumstances, and
I feel convinced that if he were here he would say, 'Go down and see it,
Dolly.'"

"We have no right to speculate as to what he might say," replied Faith,
who was very clear-headed. "His orders were definite: 'Keep within the
grounds, when notice is given of artillery practice.' And those orders I
mean to obey."

"And so do I; but not to misunderstand them. The beach is a part of our
grounds, as I have heard him say fifty times in argument, when people
tried to come encroaching. And I mean to go on that part of his grounds,
because I can't see well from the other part. That is clearly what he
meant; and he would laugh at us, if we could tell him nothing when he
comes home. Why, he promised to take us as far as Portsmouth to see some
artillery practice."

"That is a different thing altogether, because we should be under his
control. If you disobey him, it is at your own risk, and I shall not let
one of the servants go with you, for I am mistress of the household, if
not of you."

"What trumpery airs you do give yourself! One would think you were fifty
years old at least. Stay at home, if you are such a coward! I am sure
dear daddy would be quite ashamed of you. They are popping already, and
I mean to watch them."

"You won't go so very far, I am quite sure of that," answered Faith, who
understood her sister. "You know your own value, darling Dolly, and you
would not go at all, if you had not been forbidden."

"When people talk like that, it goads me up to almost anything. I intend
to go, and stand, as near as can be, in the middle of the space that is
marked off 'dangerous.'"

"Do, that's a dear. I will lend you my shell-silk that measures twenty
yards, that you may be sure of being hit, dear."

"Inhuman, selfish, wicked creature!" cried Dolly, and it was almost
crying; "you shall see what comes of your cold-bloodedness! I shall pace
to and fro in the direct line of fire, and hang