"Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?" Eugenia
asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
"I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer. "I
explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
"He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
"Not necessarily, my dear, but that reminds me. This will give me a good
opportunity to send a letter to Mrs. Manning. I promised to write her.
They say the troopships will carry the mail with them; and taking mine
as far as Montreal, perhaps Little York, it can be forwarded overland to
Penetang."
"Have you written your letter already?"
"No, but I shall have time immediately after dinner. Captain Morris does
not come until nine."
The meal over, Maud repaired to her room and took out her tablet,
quill-pen and horn inkstand. For weeks she had been hoping for a second
letter from Helen, but none had come. Still she had much to tell, and
the hour was nearly gone by the time her letter was finished and the
envelope addressed.
She did not, however, seal it at once. Alone in her room she sat for a
moment tapping her forehead. Then she took out another sheet and
commenced writing again. This time it was to Dr. Beaumont, in reply to
the two she had already received.
While writing she was in deep thought, carefully weighing her words. She
put them down more slowly than in her longer letter to Helen. As she
finished, the big bell in the church tower struck nine. For another
moment she paused. Then placing the letter in a small envelope, and
addressing it, she put it in the larger one to Mrs. Manning, and sealed
the latter in three places after the manner of the time. As she finished
a message came that Captain Morris had arrived.
"Montreal will be your headquarters, no doubt," she heard her father say
as she entered the room.
"It will be farther west than that, I hope," was his answer. "Still we
are willing to go anywhere. My men are quite excited over it. Being
veterans, one would think they would be indifferent; but it is so long
since they were in battle, that they are just itching for a fight."
"Human depravity--human depravity!" exclaimed the judge. "It can't be
over a year since you left Europe. Surely they had enough of it then."
"You forget, sir," said Morris, "that it is the soldier's life. His
daily occupation--his meat and drink--and that a long interruption from
everyday occurrences only gives zest to a return to old conditions."
"Still it is lamentable! however essential to our glory," said the
Judge, shaking his head.
"It should not be lamentable when the cause is just. For that matter
empire was always maintained by the sword and always will be."
"No, no!" said the Judge. "The arts of peace are winning their way. We
may not do without the cannon yet, but please God the time will come
when 'The lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the wolf and the lamb
shall lie down together at the cockatrice den, and a little child shall
lead them.'"
"Will that time ever come?" said Maud, her brows contracting. "I suppose
it would be grand if it did."
"Not in our time," said Morris. "But the strength of the sword may
hasten it."
"The inevitable paradox."
"Paradoxes are the truest lessons of life."
"The soldier's life is an instance. He fights that peace may reign."
"He is an enigma," said Maud.
"No, he is the most human of men," said the Captain. "Though true
hearted, he can love as well as hate. He can face the cannon's mouth
without flinching an inch, and the next moment shed tears over a
comrade's grave. When storming a stronghold, he can see his best friend
shot down by his side, and step over his body without even giving him a
look."
"I can understand that," said Maud gravely, "and a woman could do it,
too, if it had to be."
"I know one woman who could," said Morris, and Maud's face flushed as
she turned away.
At this moment the knocker sounded and Miss Maxwell ushered in Dr.
Fairchilds.
"Knowing how fond you are of whist, Captain," she said, "I asked the
Doctor over for another rubber before you go. I hope you and Maud are
both agreeable."
"Eugenia is fond of surprises," said Maud with a sharp glance at her
sister; "but I shall be glad to have you for my partner, Captain, if you
can spare the time."
"Thank you, but our game must be short. I am due at the Citadel at
eleven, and a soldier has to obey orders to the minute, you know."
Soon the table was arranged and the young people sat down to play.
In cutting for deal the choice fell to Maud; and when she turned up
Queen of Hearts, Eugenia smiled significantly. By-and-bye the first two
games were over, each side scoring one.
"Now for the rubber," said the Captain. Again it was Maud's deal, and
again Queen of Hearts was trump.
"Extraordinary!" exclaimed Fairchilds. "Your hands have been red all
evening."
"Not only that," said Morris, smiling across the table, "but my
partner's have always been hearts."
"Peculiar," said the Doctor.
"Very," said Eugenia.
Maud bit her lip.
For a while the game was played in silence, she and the Captain
gradually winning. Finally, his deal came, and cutting, the King of
Hearts turned up.
"I score you one better!" he exclaimed to Maud. Their eyes met and a
ripple went round the table. The game was soon finished. They had won
the rubber.
Refreshments were served, and half an hour later the gentlemen rose to
go.
"My Queen of Hearts," said the Captain to Maud in a low voice as she
accompanied him to the hall.
"To-night you were my King," she replied with a little laugh. "King of
Hearts in our little game."
"And what is life but a game," he answered, "with hearts for trumps,
which we all try to win?"
"Oh Maud!" exclaimed Eugenia, coming out of the drawing-room with Dr.
Fairchilds. "Could not Captain Morris take your letter for Mrs. Manning?
He could put it in with the rest of the mail."
"I shall be delighted," said the Captain, turning again to Maud; "and
for that matter will post it at Montreal instead of here."
"Really, I wouldn't put you to that trouble for anything," said Maud,
casting a glance of annoyance at her sister. "The post will go by the
same boat as you do, and if I take it to the office in the morning it
will be sure to be in time."
"I am not certain of that," said Fairchilds.
"It takes twice as long to send a letter to Quebec or Montreal by mail
as it does to go in person. Putting it in the office will not guarantee
a quick delivery, I assure you."
"Still it is unimportant," persisted Maud, who shrank from making the
Captain the unconscious bearer of a message to Beaumont. "I am sure
Captain Morris will have quite enough to attend to without burdening
himself with my paltry despatch."
"No trouble at all," reiterated the Captain. "I have a number of
documents to take care of anyway, and I will just put yours with the
others in safe keeping."
While the rest were discussing, Eugenia had gone for the letter, and now
handed it to Morris. Maud saw that further resistance was useless,
without being disagreeable. The address ran:
"Mrs. Manning,
Wife of Lieutenant Manning,
Under command of Sir George Head,
Harbor of Penetanguishene,
Georgian Bay,
Upper Canada."
In those days letters were matters of importance even to persons
unconcerned, and outer wrappings were the public property of all. Hence,
the reading aloud of the address caused no comment.
"Yes, Miss Maud, I am delighted to take charge of it, and shall forward
it to the end of its journey as soon as I possibly can. While in my
possession it will be a reminder of the one who wrote it; and the moment
it leaves my hands I shall send you word, telling how soon I expect it
to reach its destination."
Maud with throbbing heart murmured her thanks.
The Captain tried unavailingly to secure another minute to themselves,
and with an indefinite understanding that they might speak with each
other the next day he took his leave.
But circumstances were not favorable. Every moment of his time was
occupied, and it was from the deck of the ship that he again saw her in
the distance. The vessel had parted from her moorings and was floating
out into the harbor when he discovered her among the crowd on the wharf.
Instantly his helmet was raised--a little handkerchief fluttered for a
moment in the breeze, and gradually the distance widened between them.