Teddy tore into the house one morning after school with this announcement, and his face was radiant with delight. His mother was laying the cloth for dinner, and old Mrs. Platt was busy dishing up some potatoes.
'Who told you?' asked the latter.
'I saw one—a real live soldier, a corporal with two gold stripes on his red coat, and such white gloves; and I went up to him and talked to him.'
'Certainly modesty is lacking with you,' observed Mrs. Platt drily.
'Shyness is,' said Mrs. John rather quickly; 'but he doesn't show forwardness as a rule.'
'Sam and Carrots and lots of the boys were with me, mother. He told us that he and one or two more had come on to get billets—that's the word—billets for the regiment that was marching through on their way to Wales; and we shall see them come marching through the village in a few days. He said most of them were going to put up in the town, but twenty were coming to the Hare and Hounds, and they're going to sleep there. He's such a nice man, mother; he's only going to sleep here to-night, and then he's going on to-morrow to get some more billets ready in the next town he comes to. Couldn't he come to tea this afternoon? Do let me ask him, granny!'
Mrs. Platt laughed not ill-humouredly. 'You would have us take in any scoundrel, provided he wore a red coat, wouldn't you?'
'Soldiers are never scoundrels!' asserted Teddy with hot indignation.
'Do you know all the soldiers in the British Army, then?' said his grandmother.
'I daresay he wouldn't care to come to tea with strangers, sonny,' put in
Mrs. John gently.