“Did you then hear from Mr. Hake?” I asked, laughing and very happy.

“Indeed I did, by every post!  That respectable Albany gentleman seemed to feel it his duty to write me by every batteau and inquire concerning my health, happiness, and pleasure, and if I lacked anything on earth to please me.  Was it not most extraordinary behaviour, Euan?”

She was laughing when she spoke, and for a moment her eyes grew strangely tender, but they brightened immediately and she tossed her head.

“Oh, Lana!” said she.  “I think I may seriously consider Mr. Hake and his very evident intentions.  So I shall require no more beaux, Euan, and thank you kindly for volunteering.  Besides, if I want ’em, this camp seems moderately furnished with handsome and gallant young officers,” she added airily, glancing around her.  “Lana!  Do you please observe that tall captain with the red facings!  And the other staff-major yonder in blue and buff!  Is he not beautiful as Apollo?  And I make no doubt that this agreeable young Ensign of ours will presently make them known to us for our proper diversion.”

Somehow, now, with the prospect of all these officers besetting her with their civilities and polite assiduities, nothing of the old and silly jealousy seemed to stir within me.  Perhaps because, although for days I had not seen her, I knew her better.  And also I had begun to know myself.  Even though she loved not me in the manner I desired, yet the lesser, cruder, and more unworthy solicitude which at first seemed to have possessed me in her regard was now gone.  And if inexperience and youth had inspired me with unworthy jealousies I do not know; but I do know that I now felt myself older—­ years older than when first I knew Lois; and perhaps my being so honestly in love with her wrought the respectable change in me.  For real love ages the mind, even when it makes more youthful the body, and so controls both body and mind.  And I think it was something that way with me.

Presently, as we sat chattering there, came men to take away Lana’s box to Block-House No. 2 on the peninsula.  So Lana went into the bush-hut and refilled and locked the box, and then we all walked together to the military works which were being erected on a cleared knoll overlooking both rivers, and upon which artillerymen were now mounting the three-pounder and the cohorn, or “grasshopper,” as our men had named it, because our artillery officers had taken it from its wooden carriage and had mounted it on a tripod.  And at every discharge it jumped into the air and kicked over backward.

This miniature fortress, now called Fort Sullivan, was about three hundred feet square, with strong block-forts at the four corners, so situated as to command both rivers; and these fortifications were now so nearly completed that the men of the invalid corps who were to garrison the place had already marched into their barracks, and were now paraded for inspection.