"Those French sisters of charity are the admiration of all the troops. Even the stupid Turks adore them, and are bewildered by a devotion and purity of purpose which their sensual souls cannot understand. Mademoiselle, we have no language to describe what we owe to your order."
The sister of charity gave the colonel a pleasant smile, and a bow full of grace and good humour.
"Our visit," said he, "is necessarily a hurried one. We are all in full puff, as you may see, Norcliff, for this afternoon the cavalry division is to be reviewed before Omar Pasha and Marshal St. Arnaud."
"Hence my Lord Lucan is most anxious that each and all should appear in his best bib and tucker," added Studhome.
After they were gone, I turned again to thank the gentle sister of charity for the journey she had made, on a hot and breathless day, through a camp of more than eighty thousand foreign troops, to serve me.
She only gave me one of her pleasant smiles, and; taking the miniature of Louisa from the tripod table, said in a low voice, "Is this the lady from whom you expect letters?"
"Yes."
She shook her head sadly, as if her survey of the tiny portrait had not proved satisfactory.
"Why do you look thus, ma soeur? What do you see?"
"Much of dangerous beauty; but more of pride, of caution, tact, and cold decision. The eyebrows nearly meet—I don't like that. The eyes are lovely; but—but——"