“Pardon me, can I see Colonel Maynard?”

“He is at home.  Pray come up and take a chair.  I will let him know.  I—­I felt sure you must be some friend of his when I saw you in the stage,” said the good lady, with manifest and apologetic uneasiness.

“Yes,” responded the stranger, as he quickly ascended the steps and bowed before her, smiling quietly the while.  “Let me introduce myself.  I am Captain Armitage, of the colonel’s regiment.”

“There!  I knew it!” was Aunt Grace’s response, as with both hands uplifted in tragic despair she gave one horror-stricken glance at Alice and rushed into the house.

There was a moment’s silence; then, with burning cheeks, but with brave eyes that looked frankly into his, Alice Renwick arose, came straight up to him, and held out her pretty hand.

“Captain Armitage, I beg your pardon.”

He took the extended hand and gazed earnestly into her face, while a kind—­almost merry—­smile lighted up his own.

“Have the boys given me such an uncanny reputation as all that?” he asked; and then, as though tickled with the comicality of the situation, he began to laugh.  “What ogres some of us old soldiers do become in the course of years!  Do you know, young lady, I might never have suspected what a brute I was if it had not been for you?  What a blessed thing it was the colonel did not tell you I was coming!  You would never have given me this true insight into my character.”

But she saw nothing to laugh at, and would not laugh.  Her lovely face was still burning with blushes and dismay and full of trouble.

“I do not look upon it lightly at all,” she said.  “It was unpardonable in me to—­to—­”

“To take so effective and convincing a method of telling a man of his grievous sins!  Not a bit of it.  I like a girl who has the courage to stand up for her friends.  I shall congratulate Jerrold and Hall both when I get back, lucky fellows that they are!” And evidently Captain Armitage was deriving altogether too much jolly entertainment from her awkwardness.  She rallied and strove to put an end to it.

“Indeed, Captain Armitage, I do think the young officers sorely need friends and advocates at times.  I never would have knowingly spoken to you of your personal responsibilities in the woes of Mr. Jerrold and Mr. Hall, but since I have done so unwittingly I may as well define my position, especially as you are so good-natured with it all.”  And here, it must be admitted, Miss Renwick’s beautiful eyes were shyly lifted to his in a most telling way.  Once there, they looked squarely into the clear blue depths of his, and never flinched.  “It seemed to me several times at Sibley that the young officers deserved more consideration and courtesy than their captains accorded them.  It was not you alone that I heard of.”