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bring in the luggage.'
A young man and a young lady got up from their seats. A ladder was
brought for the lady to descend. But just as she was about to step on it,
a fidgeting horse in front made a movement, the ladder slipped, and the
lady was only just in time to withdraw her foot and save herself.
Sir William Farrell, who had seen the little incident, ran forward, while
the man who had been placing the ladder went to the horse, which was
capering and trying to rear in his eagerness to be off.
Sir William raised the ladder, and set it firmly against the coach.
'I think you might risk it now,' he said, raising his eyes pleasantly to the
young person above him.
'Thank you,' said a shy voice. Mrs. Sarratt turned round and descended.
Meanwhile the man holding the ladder saw an officer in khaki standing
on the top of the coach, and heard him address a word of laughing
encouragement to the lady. And no sooner had her feet touched the
ground than he was at her side in a trice.
'Thank you, Sir!' he said, saluting. 'My wife was very nearly thrown off.
That horse has been giving trouble all the way.'
'Must be content with what you can get, in war-time!' said the other
smiling, as he raised his hat to the young woman he had befriended,
whom he now saw plainly. 'And there are so few visitors at present in
these parts that what horses there are don't get enough to do.'
The face turned upon him was so exquisite in line and colour that Sir
William, suddenly struck, instead of retreating to his car, lingered while
the soldier husband--a lieutenant, to judge from the stripes on his

cuff,--collected a rather large amount of luggage from the top of the
coach.
'You must have had a lovely drive along Windermere,' said Sir William
politely. 'Let me carry that bag for you. You're stopping here?'
'Yes--' said Mrs. Sarratt, distractedly, watching to see that the luggage
was all right. 'Oh, George, do take care of that parcel!'
'All right.'
But she had spoken too late. As her husband, having handed over two
suit cases to Mrs. Weston's fourteen-year old boy, came towards her
with a large brown paper parcel, the string of it slipped, Mrs. Sarratt
gave a little cry, and but for her prompt rush to his assistance, its
contents would have descended into the road. But through a gap in the
paper various tin and china objects were disclosed.
'That's your "cooker," Nelly,' said her husband laughing. 'I told you it
would bust the show!'
But her tiny, deft fingers rapidly repaired the damage, and re-tied the
string while he assisted her. The coach drove off, and Sir William
patiently held the bag. Then she insisted on carrying the parcel herself,
and the lieutenant relieved Sir William.
'Awfully obliged to you!' he said gratefully. 'Good evening! We're
stopping here for a bit' He pointed to the open door of the
lodging-house, where Mrs. Weston and the boy were grappling with the
luggage.
'May I ask--' Sir William's smile as he looked from one to the other
expressed that loosening of conventions in which we have all lived
since the war--'Are you home on leave, or--'
'I came home to be married,' said the young soldier, flushing slightly,
while his eyes crossed those of the young girl beside him. 'I've got a
week more.'

'You've been out some time?'
'Since last November. I got a scratch in the Ypres fight in April--oh,
nothing--a small flesh wound--but they gave me a month's leave, and
my medical board has only just passed me.'
'Lanchesters?' said Sir William, looking at his cap. The other nodded
pleasantly.
'Well, I am sure I hope you'll have good weather here,' said Sir William,
stepping back, and once more raising his hat to the bride. 'And--if there
was Anything I could do to help your stay--'
'Oh, thank you, Sir, but--'
The pair smiled again at each other. Sir William understood, and
smiled too. A more engaging couple he thought he had never seen. The
young man was not exactly handsome, but he had a pair of charming
hazel eyes, a good-tempered mouth, and a really fine brow. He was tall
too, and well proportioned, and looked the pick of physical fitness. 'Just
the kind of splendid stuff we are sending out by the ship-load,' thought
the elder man, with a pang of envy--'And the girl's lovely!'
She was at that moment bowing to him, as she followed her husband
across the road. A thought occurred to Sir William, and he pursued her.
'I wonder--' he said diffidently--'if you care for boating--if you would
like to boat on