of the
Engineer's placid disdain. The madder Petty got the cooler was Loring,
and when Dennis dropped in just at the close of the interview a worse
whipped man was never seen than the aid, who rattled back to his
general, thinking of what he ought to have said, his wits, like his
brevet to the double bar, coming to him long after the war was over.

"He treated me and the General's orders with perfect contempt," said
Petty finally, and the General looked into the face of his senior staff
officer hopeful that Strain would seem properly impressed. But Strain
did not. It was one thing for Loring to ignore him, but quite different
when that officer failed to stand and deliver at the demand of Petty.
Strain treated him with scant respect himself when the General wasn't
around, and had been heard to say that generals who allowed their
wealthy relatives to dictate who should be their aids were foisting
heavy loads upon the service. It was nearly ten o'clock; his evening was
spoiled. He was crabbed, therefore, and he spoke accordingly:

"Mr. Petty--I--mean Captain Petty." (Strain, who didn't get one, said a
March '67 brevet was of no earthly account, and he for one proposed to
ignore them). "May I ask what were your words when you--you have given
us Mr. Loring's--were communicating the General's message to him? Were
they, for example, carefully chosen? Did you observe courtesy of manner,
avoiding all that could irritate, or----"

"Of course I did. You never saw a man so contemptuously, insultingly
cool in your life. He just----"

But Strain held up his hand. "I should like to know just what you said.
The General has told me the message you were to give. Now-w, how did
you give it?"

But that was something Colonel Strain was destined not to know for many
a year, if indeed, he ever heard. There came a knock at the door. A
servant entered with a card. "The lady, sir, begs to see the General at
once, if only for five minutes."

The General frowned as he took the card. What lady would be calling at
ten o'clock at night and demanding interviews when he was so much
occupied. But his face changed as he read, then glanced up at his
chief-of-staff.

"This is remarkable, Strain. The lady superior of the gray sister's
convent. Alone?" he asked, turning to the servant.

"No, sir. Young lady with her, sir."

"You'll have to excuse me a moment, gentlemen," said he. "I'll rejoin
you here."

Strain was about to return to the subject