Colonel Arran had brought back with him from Washington a Captain Hallam, a handsome youngster who wore his cavalry uniform to perfection and who had become instantly attentive to Ailsa,—­so attentive that before she realised it he was a regular visitor at her house, appropriating the same chair that Berkley always had—­Berkley!——­

At the memory she closed her eyes instinctively.  The wound throbbed,

“What is the matter, Mrs. Paige?” inquired Captain Hallam anxiously.  “Are you faint?”

She opened her eyes and smiled in pretence of surprise at such a question; and Hallam muttered:  “I thought you seemed rather pale all of a sudden.”  Then he brightened up and went gaily on with what he had been saying: 

“We’ve got nine full companies already, and the 10th, K, is an independent company which we’re taking in to complete our organisation.  Colonel Arran and I stopped in Philadelphia to inspect Colonel Rush’s regiment of lancers—­the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry—­because the French officers on McClellan’s staff have put it into his head that he needs lancers——­”

“Is Colonel Arran’s regiment to carry lances?” interrupted Ailsa in surprise.

Hallam nodded, laughing:  “We recruited as light cavalry, armed with sabre and pistol, but General McClellan has ordered that we carry the lance in addition.  The department had none to issue until the foreign samples arrived.  We are ordered to carry a lance of the Austrian pattern, nine feet long with an eleven-inch, three-edged blade; the staff of Norway fir about an inch and a quarter through, with ferrule and counter poise at the heel.  Do I make myself clear, Mrs. Paige?”

Ailsa, thinking of Berkley, flushed slightly and nodded.

“There’ll be a scarlet swallow-tailed pennon on the end just below the blade point.  The whole affair will weigh about five pounds,” concluded Hallam, rising to take his leave; “and I’ve got to be off to camp.”

“Must you go, Captain Hallam?”

“I really must.  That K Company is due in camp this evening, and I expect our uniforms and equipments will be delivered in the morning.  Are you coming to see us off, Mrs. Paige?”

“When do you go?  Colonel Arran said nothing about going.”

“Oh, I expect we’ll be on our way before very long.  We are not in the best of shape yet; that’s not to be expected.  But there’s a sad lack of cavalry in Washington, and they may want us to go whether we’re ready or not.  They sent off a regiment that had neither arms nor uniforms and couldn’t even keep step, the other day.  I’ve an idea we are going pretty soon.”  He took Ailsa’s offered hand, looked at her a little earnestly, smiled in self-satisfaction, and went his way.

Later in the week he came back for a few moments; and all through the week he continued to come back for a few moments whenever he had an hour’s leave.

And every time he took his leave his smile became less nervous and more confident.