“Oh, Mr. Penfold!” Ralph exclaimed as he leaped from his seat in delight.  “I am obliged to you.  That is glorious.  I hardly even hoped I could get a commission for some months to come.  Don’t look sad, mother,” he said, running round and kissing her.  “I shan’t be going out of England yet, you know; and now the war is over you need have no fear of my getting killed, and a few months sooner or later cannot make much difference.”

“I shall bear it in time, Ralph,” his mother said, trying to smile through her tears.  “But it comes as a shock just at first.”

The sight of his mother’s tears sobered Ralph for a time, and during supper the conversation was chiefly supported by Mr. Penfold, who joked Ralph about his coming back in a few years a general without arms or legs; and was, indeed, so cheerful and lively that Mabel could scarcely believe her ears, so wholly unlike was he to the quiet friend she had known as long as she could remember.  The next fortnight was a delightful one to Mabel, and indeed to all the party.  Every day they went driving-excursions through the country round.  Ramsgate and Deal and Folkestone were visited, and they drove over to Canterbury and spent a night there visiting the grand cathedral and the old walls.

The weather was too cold for the water, for Christmas was close at hand; but everything that could be done was done to make the time pass happily.  Mrs. Conway exerted herself to lay aside her regrets at Ralph’s approaching departure, and to enter into the happiness which Mr. Penfold so evidently felt.  The day before their departure for town an official letter arrived for Ralph, announcing that he was gazetted into his majesty’s 28th Regiment of foot, and that he was in one month’s date from that of his appointment to join his regiment at Cork.

“Now, Miss Mabel,” Mr. Penfold said gayly, after the first talk over the commission was concluded, “you will have for the future to treat Mr. Ralph Conway with the respect due to an officer in his majesty’s service.”

“I don’t see any change in him at present,” the girl said, examining Ralph gravely.

The boy burst into a laugh.

“Wait till you see him in uniform, Mabel,” Mr. Penfold went on.  “I am afraid that respect is one of the moral qualities in which you are deficient.  Still I think that when you see Ralph in his uniform, you will be struck with awe.”

“I don’t think so,” Mabel said, shaking her head.  “I don’t think he will frighten me, and I feel almost sure that he won’t frighten the Frenchmen.”

“My dear child,” Mr. Penfold said gravely, “you don’t know what Ralph is going to turn out yet.  When you see him come back from the wars seven or eight inches taller than he is now, with great whiskers, and perhaps three or four ornamental scars on his face, you will be quite shocked when you reflect that you once treated this warrior as a playfellow.”