man to deal with that you ever saw."

"But the people of the North are all accustomed to peaceful
employments?"

Mr. Thorold laughed, looking down at me with infinite
amusement and tenderness mixed.

"I see what your training has been," he said. "What will you
do when you have one of those quiet people for your husband?"

"Quiet!" said I. "When your eyes are showering sparks of fire
all over me!"

"Daisy," he said, "those rose leaves in your cheeks are the
very prettiest bits of colour I ever saw in my life."

"But we are wandering from the subject," I said.

"No, we are not," he said decidedly. "You are my one subject
at all times."

"Not when you are training soldiers?" I said half laughing.
But he gave me a look which silenced me. And it nearly took
away all the courage I had, for everything I wanted to say to
him and had found it so difficult to say.

"Christian," I began again after an interval, "were the troops
that were sent over into Virginia just now, sent, do you
suppose, to meet Beauregard?"