meet him in no such merely perfunctory fashion as generally comes from the daily intercourse of the service, the army-world over. One brother-officer paused to reproach him sharply for not appearing at some affair or other at a friend's quarters, on the preceding evening «when the very cat and dog missed you.» Another comrade wanted to know why he kept «out of a fellow's way, no matter how hard one tries to see something of you.» An elderly civilian remained several minutes at his side, to make sure that the young Herr Lieutenant would not forget to dine with the So-and-So family, at a birthday-fète, in course of next few days. Again,—«Seven weeks was I up there, in that d––d little hole in Galizien! And I wrote you long letters, three letters! Not a post-card from you did I get, the whole time!» ...... remonstrated another comrade.
Soon I remarked on this kind of dialogue.
«You have plenty of excellent friends in the world, I perceive,» said I.
For the first time, that day, since one or
