‘Who told you?’ asked the latter.

’I saw one—­a real live soldier, a corporal with two gold stripes on his red coat, and such white gloves; and I went up to him and talked to him.’

‘Certainly modesty is lacking with you,’ observed Mrs. Platt drily.

‘Shyness is,’ said Mrs. John rather quickly; ’but he doesn’t show forwardness as a rule.’

’Sam and Carrots and lots of the boys were with me, mother.  He told us that he and one or two more had come on to get billets—­that’s the word—­billets for the regiment that was marching through on their way to Wales; and we shall see them come marching through the village in a few days.  He said most of them were going to put up in the town, but twenty were coming to the Hare and Hounds, and they’re going to sleep there.  He’s such a nice man, mother; he’s only going to sleep here to-night, and then he’s going on to-morrow to get some more billets ready in the next town he comes to.  Couldn’t he come to tea this afternoon?  Do let me ask him, granny!’

Mrs. Platt laughed not ill-humouredly.  ’You would have us take in any scoundrel, provided he wore a red coat, wouldn’t you?’

‘Soldiers are never scoundrels!’ asserted Teddy with hot indignation.

‘Do you know all the soldiers in the British Army, then?’ said his grandmother.

‘I daresay he wouldn’t care to come to tea with strangers, sonny,’ put in Mrs. John gently.

’I’m sure he would, for he doesn’t like the Hare and Hounds.  He said he was a teetotaller.’

‘Come, that sounds good,’ Mrs. Platt remarked.  ’Well, you can ask him in for your father’s sake.’

Not much dinner could Teddy eat that day, and his lessons at school had never seemed so irksome to him; but they were over at last, and he tore off in search of his new friend, finding him at length sitting under an old yew-tree just outside the churchyard.

‘Granny says will you come to tea with us?’ he asked breathlessly, as he came up to him.

The corporal looked up.  He was a fine-looking young man with a frank, bright face, and he was reading a well-worn Bible, which he put carefully in his pocket before he rose to his feet.

‘That’s very kind of your granny,’ he said; ’and I’ll come with pleasure.  I’m out of it at the Hare and Hounds.’

Teddy’s quick eyes had spied the Bible.

‘Do you like the Bible?’ he asked gravely.

‘It’s my order book,’ the corporal said with a smile, ’and my best friend in the world.’

‘What’s an order book?’

’It gives you your daily commands—­just what you are to do and where you’re to go.  My Captain writes my orders down in His Word for me.’

‘He’s my Captain too,’ said Teddy with glistening eyes.  ’You mean Jesus, don’t you?  I’ve enlisted in His army, and I’m one of His soldiers.’

‘Shake hands, little brother, then; we’re comrades after all.’