"West Point must be an odd place," said Rose.
"And she is the oddest woman! What ails the hotel fence, any more than all other fences?" said Violet. "It looks pretty strong."
However, they obeyed orders, and wandering about a little, as all doors stood open, came presently out upon the north piazza and the north view.
XLVIII
THE GUARD-HOUSE IN JUNE
The little birds sang as if it were
The one day of summer in all the year.
—Lowell.
I do not know when Mrs. Congressman would have been roused from her nap, if the clock on the old tower had not told its tale of the passage of time. But when three sonorous notes had sounded, after that the girls kept close watch, for soon Magnus would be but a half hour away.
They passed round to the west side, and sat watching the hills and the plain and the clock, by turns; and it wanted two minutes of the quarter when they went in. And Mrs. Ironwood was prompt. She waked up at once, donned a fresh gown and an astonishing bonnet; looked her girls over critically, to make sure their simple preparations had come out all right, then sailed away down the steps and across the plain, with her pretty convoy close following.
Late spring everywhere, blue sky and hot sun; a ravishing green carpet, and just a stir of such air as breathes nowhere but in the Highlands. Gaily dressed women spotted the green, dark-blue officers came and went; the bugler at the sallyport handled and toned his bugle.
Straight through the sallyport the Western dame led her two girls, passing grey coats on the way across the area, and meeting others at the guard-house; nodding to one, hailing another, but giving no introductions; until after making known her wishes to the magnificent officer of the day, she turned to her girls, and presented Cadet-Captain Trueman. Then panted up the narrow staircase to the visitors' room, which was hot, and not magnificent.