er our arrival, just as I was beginning
to enjoy myself thoroughly, a telegram arrived from the War Office,
notifying me that I had been one of the successful candidates at the
recent examinations and that I was to report myself at Woolwich in ten
days' time.

This telegram arrived one evening when a masked ball was being held at
one of the Casinos. Being carnival time, it was the custom at these balls
for the ladies to go masked, but not so the men. This was a source of
much amusement to all, as the women were able to know who their partners
were and chaff them at pleasure, while the men had all their time cut out
to recognize the gay deceivers. At the beginning of the ball I had seen a
masked lady who appeared to me just perfection. She was sylph-like; her
figure was slight, of medium height, feet as perfect as Spanish women's
feet can be; a head whose shape rivalled those of Murillo's angels,
blue-black tresses adorning it, and eyes--oh! what eyes--looking at you
through the openings in the mask. I lost no time in asking her to dance.
I did not expect she would know who I was, but _she_ lost no time in
saying "Yes," and round we went. I found I didn't like to leave her, so I
asked her to dance again--and again. She was sweetness itself. She always
said "Yes." It was in the middle of this that I was informed by my father
of the telegram to return to Woolwich. I wished Woolwich in a very hot
place. Soon came the time for the ladies to unmask. She did so, and I
beheld, in front of me, a married aunt of mine! Going back to Woolwich
didn't then appear to me so hard.

CHAPTER III

A FRONTIER INCIDENT

I was finishing my second term at Woolwich and the Christmas holidays
were close at hand.

I had, during the term, been closely following the fortunes of Don Carlos
and his army in the northern provinces of Spain. Year after year he had
been getting a stronger and stronger hold, and the weakness of the
Republican Governments in Madrid had assisted him very materially. There
was no one--had been no one--for some years to lead the then so-called
Government troops to any military advantage in the field against him.

General Prim, the Warwick of Spain, had been assassinated in Madrid. The
Italian Prince, Asmodeus, to whom he had offered the Crown and who for
just over a year had reigned as King of Spain, was glad to make himself
scarce by quietly disappearing over the borders to Portugal. A further
period of Republ