Major Vigoureux

nd ratafia biscuits-prelude to serious whist. "I carry them both in my mind's eye, though I must have been but a tiny child when he succumbed to apoplexy, and she left the Islands to reside

tongues that attributed her spitefulness to disappointment. Fifteen years ago, when Major Narcisse Vigoureux-no longer in his first youth, but still a man of handsome presence-had first arrived in the Islands to take over his command, Mi

he true one, Miss Gabriel could hardly have been unaware that the women looked upon her as one who had missed her chance, and even bl

the Commandant tr

a Deanery?-was looked upon as finishing a man's career. I don't know, for my part, the principl

nt, still patiently, as she paused; "by

the Commander-in-Chief probably knew something of the man-had informed h

xile, too!" put in

ht. He had fenced off these quarters of his for privacy, because Mrs. Bartlemy thought it would be a good deal better for the maid-servant; and they communicated with the Barracks by a staircase with a door of which he kept the key. On the first alarm he ran to this door and called through the key-hole for his orderly; but the orderly, who himself was taking part in the disturbance, did not hear. So the Colonel called up his

asked Mr. Rogers

-behaved lot in the Islands, and perpetually grumbling-though in those days," add

n a cap with lilac ribbon, rose in some little fluster,

for opponents-Miss Gabriel on his left. He prepared to enjoy himself, for whist meant silence, and he could h

pened a great many times before! What do you say, Mr. Fossell, to staking half-a-crown on the

f the others are willing-not that for me the pleasure of p

appealed to

"Come along, Vigoureux," he almost shout

ugh with a set face, and by the nod committed himself. He felt his few coin

Fossell ought to be more than a match for a pair of whom, if one (Miss Gabriel)

he first g

played atrociously) saw their opponents almost level-the score eight-seven. In the next hand

ell. But a financier is not distu

e Commandant a week between t

ssell, sitting there, so imperturbabl

announced

g in a state of suppressed excitement-suppressed because the Vicar, being deaf, had not overhea

his hand on any subject that occurred to him. The rest of the table deferred to this habit, out of respect or beca

knew it to be a good one; innocently unaware that it covered any caustic subintention. It had started him on a train of reminiscence which he pursued at the card-table (good man

(Let me see. Spades are trumps, I believe.... 'Clubs'? Your pardon Mrs. Fossell, but I remember it was a black suit.) Yes, and seeing no prospect of recall they married in time with our Island women, and that"-here the Vicar gathered up a t

or of the wound, and asked perplexedly:-"What have I done to you, that you treat me thus?" I have no doubt that Miss Gabriel caught the glance. She did not answer it; but her gre

essing deaf ears around the other table; "though, for

h Mr. Rogers, by a blundering lead, enabled him to establish early. Actual honours were "easy"; but by exhausting trumps at the fir

ed the disastrous effects usually predicted of it; and that, therefore, an infusion of fresh blood,

e opined that what had happened once need not necessarily happen again, especially in these days when locomotion was making such strides. She hazarded this in the lowest key; but it happened in just that mo

anded, "are you talkin

g of the sort. I was referring to the garrison here b

jor Vigoureux is waiting for you to cut." She said it with her eyes upon the Commandant's hand, which was trembl

o his brow as Mr. Fossell, whose turn it was, took up the cards

e presented himself at Mr. Fossell's bank on pay-day, the money was not forthcoming?" Nonsense! He was unhinged.... The money h

is fingers, hesitated for a few moments, put his cards togethe

y close and still. But the Vicar remained unaware of the general excite

me when I hoped our friend the Com

sperate to break the horrible spell, to turn the luck.... He held ace, king, knave of hearts, and knew well enough that, in sound whist he ought t

iel had been waiting, watching him intently. Her mouth shu

later, by trumping the Commandant's ace and king. Mr. Fossell looked at his partner, in

ts, I suppose?

"if I play no more for money to-night. Indeed, I was going to ask Mrs. Fossell to forgive me if I s

r?" suggested Mr. Fossell. "Nay

k that it completely shut off the rays of the many lighthouses twinkling around the Islands, and obscured the few street lamps that illuminated Garland Town.

had descended on the Islands before he started from the quay to climb to his new home; and here-just here, at this doorway-he had paused to ask his way. The door had stood open then, with a panel of warm firelight lying across the roadway, and as he halted and peered into the room-it was a kitchen, and the light from the open hearth glinted on rows of china plates ranged along the dresser-he saw two girls beside the fire; the one seated and reading from a book in her lap, the other on the hearth-mat half reclined against her sister's

, not being used as yet to hear his country spoken of as the mainland. "And I am going to Engl

ct?" He found himself saying t

oing-" the girl paused here, not it (seemed) in pain, but wistfully, as in a kind of solemn awe at the prospect. "We left the door

open book which the elder sister laid on the chair as she rose. The firelight enabled him to read its page-heading, printed i

ected to learn of England from Shakespeare, and from that play of all others. But being a s

inland, not to return. The younger had married a pilot, and was now the mother of a growing family in Saaron Island, which lies next to Brefar, which faces Inniscaw. Her farmstead there (the solitary one on the island), stood a

or "that shy you'd never believe." But the scene had bitten itself upon his memory, and he recalled it almost as often

is honour, an old man, good for nothing, afraid to be found out! He groped his way to the front door, opened it with his latchkey, lit the candle w

lan, of which the peculiar inconvenience was that almost every room l

ing of the main staircase, lay a room in which he kept his fishing clot

lding in winter; and here Sergeant Archelaus had lit a fire to-night and sat bef

at least a couple of hours, he hurried out in some perturbation, with the t

our pard

nt, looking up (but he was desperately conf

ressing?" said Se