was in a Gazette in his life. And now for your
side of the medal—what is it like?"

"Nothing very gorgeous or brilliant, I assure
you," said Loyd, gently; for he spoke with a
low quiet tone, and had a student-like submissive
manner, in strong contrast to the other's
easy and assured air. "With great abilities,
great industry, and great connexion, the career
is a splendid one, and the rewards the highest.
But between such golden fortunes and mine
there is a whole realm of space. However,
with time and hard work, and ordinary luck, I
don't despair of securing a fair livelihood."

"After—say—thirty years, eh?"

"Perhaps so."

"By the time that I drop out of the army a
retired lieutenant-colonel, with three hundred a
year, you'll be in fair practice at Westminster,
with, let us take it, fifteen hundred, or two
thousand—perhaps five."

"I shall be quite satisfied if I confirm the
prediction in the middle of it."

"Ah," continued the soldier. "There's only
one road to success—to marry a charming girl
with money. Ashley of ours, who has done
the thing himself, says that you can get money
—any man can, if he will; that, in fact, if you
will only take a little trouble you may have all
the attractions you seek for in a wife, plus
fortune."

"Pleasant theory, but still not unlikely to
involve a self-deception, since, even without
knowing it, a man may be far more interested
by the pecuniary circumstance."

"Don't begin with it; first fall in love I mean
to yourself, without betraying it and then look
after the settlement. If it be beneath your
expectation, trip your anchor, and get out of the
reach of fire."

"And you may pass your best years in that
unprofitable fashion, not to say what you may
find yourself become in the mean while."

The soldier looked at the other askance,
and there was in his sidelong glance a sort of
irony that seemed to say, "Oh! you're an
enthusiast, are you?"

"There you have me, Loyd," said he,
hurriedly;  "that is the weak point of my whole
system; but remember, after all, do what one
will, he can't be as fresh at five-and-thirty as
five-and-twenty he will have added ten years of
distrusts, doubts, and dodges to his nature in
spite of himself."

"If they must come in spite of himself, there
is no help for it; but let him at least not
deliberately lay a plan to acquire them."

"One thing is quite clear," said the other,
boldly; "the change will come, whether we like
it or not, and the wisest philosophy is to plan
our lives so that we may conform to the alterations
time will make in us. I don't want to be
dissatisfied with my condition at five-and-forty,
just for the sake of some caprice that I indulged
in at five-and-twenty, and if I find a very charming
creature, with an angelic temper, deep blue
eyes, the prettiest foot in Christendom, and a
neat sum in Consols, I'll promise you there will
soon be a step in the promotion of her Majesty's
service, vice Lieutenant Harry Calvert, sold
out."

The reply of the other was lost in the hoarse
noise of the steam which now rushed from the
escape-pipe of a vessel that had just arrived
beneath the window. She was bound for
Mayence, but stopped to permit some few
passengers to land at that place. The scene
exhibited all that bustle and confusion so
perplexing to the actors, but so amusing to those
who are mere spectators; for, while some were
eagerly pressing forward to gain the gangway
with their luggage, the massive machinery of
the bridge of boats was already in motion to
open a space for the vessel to move up the
stream. The young Englishmen were both
interested in watching a very tall, thin old lady,
whose efforts to gather together the members of
her party, her luggage, and her followers, seemed
to have overcome all the ordinary canons of
politeness, for she pushed here and drove there,
totally regardless of the inconvenience she was
occasioning. She was followed by two young
ladies, from whose courteous gestures it could
be inferred how deeply their companion's
insistance pained them, and how ashamed they
felt at their position.

"I am afraid she is English," said Loyd.

"Can there be a doubt of it? Where did
you ever see that reckless indifference to all
others, that selfish disregard of decency, save in
a certain class of our people? Look, she nearly
pushed that fat man down the hatchway; and
see, she will not show the steward her tickets,
and she will have her change. Poor girls!
what misery and exposure all this is for you!"

"But the steamer is beginning to move on.
They will be carried off! See, they are hauling
at the gangway already."

"She's on it; she doesn't care; she's over
now. Well done, old lady! That back-hander
was neatly given; and see, she has marshalled
her forces cleverly; sent the light division in
front, and brings up the rear herself with the
luggage and the maids. Now, I call that as
clever a landing on an enemy's shore as ever
was done."

"I must say I pity the girls, and they look
as if they felt all the mortification of their position.
And yet, they'll come to the same sort of
thing themselves one of these days, as naturally
as one of us will to wearing very easy boots and
loose-fitting waistcoats."

As he said this, the new arrivals had passed
up from the landing-place, and entered the
hotel.

"Let us at least be merciful in our criticisms
on foreigners, while we exhibit to their
eyes such national specimens as these!" said
Calvert. "For my own part, I believe, that from no
one source have we as a people derived so much
of sneer and shame, as from that which includes
within it what is called the unprotected female."

"What if we were to find out that they were
Belgians, or Dutch, or Americans?  or better