Part 58 (1/2)

It was indeed soon known that the 58th were, in the first place, to be disembarked at Cork and, one day, Mr. Bale came into the office.

”I have just seen your friend Lockett, Bob; I mean the younger one.

He commands the Antelope now, you know. His uncle has retired, and bought a place near Southampton, and settled down there. Young Lockett came up from Portsmouth by the night coach. He put in at Gibraltar on his way home, and the 58th were to embark three days after he left. So if you want to meet them when they arrive at Cork, you had better lose no time; but start by the night coach for Bristol, and cross in the packet from there.”

It was a month before Bob returned. The evening that he did so, he said to his uncle:

”I think, uncle, you said that you were anxious that I should marry young.”

”That is so, Bob,” Mr. Bale said, gravely.

”Well, uncle, I have been doing my best to carry out your wishes.”

”You don't mean to say, Bob,” Mr. Bale said, in affected alarm, ”that you are going to marry a soldier's daughter?”

”Well, yes, sir,” Bob said, a little taken aback; ”but I don't know how you guessed it. It is a young lady I knew in Gibraltar.”

”What, Bob! Not that girl who went running about with you, dressed up as a boy?”

As this was a portion of his adventures upon which Bob had been altogether reticent, he sat for a moment, confounded.

”Don't be ashamed of it, Bob,” Mr. Bale said, with a smile, laying his hand kindly on his shoulder. ”Your sister Carrie is an excellent young woman, and it is not difficult to read her thoughts in her letters. Of course, she told me about your adventure with Miss Harcourt, and she has mentioned her a good many times, since; and it did not need a great deal of discernment to see what Carrie's opinion was regarding the young lady. Carrie has her weak points--as, for example, when she took up with that wild Irishman--but she has plenty of good sense; and I am sure, by the way she wrote about this Miss Harcourt, that she must be a very charming girl; and I think, Bob, I have been looking forward almost as much, to the regiment coming home, as you have.

”Regarding you as I do, as my son, there is nothing I should like so much as having a bright, pretty daughter-in-law; so you have my hearty consent and approval, even before you ask for it.

”And you found her very nice, Bob--eh?”

”Very nice, sir,” Bob said, smiling.