"Haven't one to my name,—so there!" said Miss Saucy. "Oh, I never dare read the Bible, for fear of what I might find. I suppose you see me there quite often, all done up in black, and labelled like old letters. 'To be——'"
"Stop!" Magnus said, so sharply and suddenly that Miss Saucy did stop for sheer amazement.
"Well, I vow!" she said. "I wonder what right you have to speak to me so, Mr. Cadet Kindred."
"No right at all," said Magnus. "Only, if you play with Bible words, you will cut your own fingers; and I'm not going to stand by and see you do it. That is all. So if I should leave you and go back to camp, you'll know why." And Magnus strode on at a pace quite beyond the usual Flirtation saunter.
"I never—was—so talked to—in all my—many years of existence," said Miss Saucy, pretending to whimper. "I know I'm an awfully bad girl—and it's awfully sweet of you to tell me so. Such a nice time, too, when there's nobody round to take my part. Really looks as if you cared," added she, with soft intonation. "Don't go so fast, Mr. Kindred, please! I won't say another word—not half a word. Not if we meet a procession of snakes. Or my best man with another girl. Or your best girl with another man."
"You will not meet her," said Magnus. "She is too far away."
"Well, that is abominable," said Miss Saucy, as a turn of the walk brought them face to face with another couple. "That is awfully, savagely cruel. Oh, Nina Dangleum! Here is Mr. Kindred telling me he is engaged to be married! How are we all to live on and smile?"
"Excuse me; I said nothing of the sort," said Magnus.
"Awfully of the sort, I should say," retorted Miss Saucy. "Ought to be, if you're not. With a faraway girl that hides all the rest of creation."
"Then we are not to congratulate both parties?" said the second man in grey, Mr. Short.