"Wants colouring—too pale—too sandy, and I should say freckled by daylight."
"We all know you admire dark beauties," retorted the lady, "or you wouldn't be here now."
"You're not a dark beauty," returned the ready General; "and I knew you were coming too."
"That 'too' spoils it all," said she, with another of her killing glances. "Hush! you needn't say any more. If you won't talk to her, at least attend to the stage."
Satanella meanwhile was perusing Daisy's profile as he sat beside her, and wondering whether anybody was ever half so good-looking and so unconscious of his personal advantages. Not in the slightest degree embarrassed by this examination, Mr. Walters expressed his entire approval of the farce as it proceeded, laughing heartily at its "situations" and even nudging Miss Douglas with his elbow, that she might not miss the broadest of the fun. Was there another man in the house who could have accepted so calmly such an enviable situation? and did she like him more or less for this strange insensibility to her charms? The question must be answered by ladies who are weary of slaughter, and satiated with victory.
"Will she win, Daisy?" hazarded Miss Douglas at last, in a low whisper, such as would have vibrated through the General's whole frame, but only caused Daisy to request she would "speak up." Repeating her question, she added a tender hope that "it was all right, and that her darling (meaning the black mare) would pull him through."
"If she don't," replied Daisy, "there's no more to be said. I must leave the regiment. 'Soldier Bill' gets the troop; and I am simply chawed up."
"Oh, Daisy," she exclaimed earnestly, "how much would it take to set you straight?"