Then Gay offered his arm to his mother and they went into the garden whither everybody drifted after awhile—even nurse, who paced up and down the walks, not looking to the right or left, the peer of the sixth earl of Roslyn gurgling in her arms. Miss Celia was the last guest to appear, and she came leaning on the General's arm. They had been detained by a little dialogue which took place in the library. "Hurrah!" cried Gay on their approach. "We've got two more of Uncle George's and Miss Maud's kind in our ark now!"
All eyes were immediately turned upon the pair, and the General was moved to say something upon this joyous occasion.
"I can't understand it——" he began.
"I can!" shouted audacious Gay. "Auntie's awfully charitable—Aunt Beulah says she never knew of her refusing anything to a beggar in all her life!"
A shout of laughter, in which everybody but the minister joined, greeted this remark, and the General decided to abandon speech-making.
"You'll have to take care, auntie, or he'll make you drill!" said May, who was on the other side of the General, and held his hand.
"If he should persist in making you a soldier, Miss Celia, let me suggest that you follow your grand-niece's example—take out the cartridge and fill the cartridge chamber with cotton," said Mr. Walcott, gravely.
"Oh, father," said May, "I didn't think you would tell!"
"If Uncle Harold values his life he will not encourage Miss Linn in the use of fire-arms—a woman's shot 'may turn out a song or it may turn out a sermon'; that is, it may hit the bull's eye or it may hit somebody behind her," said Uncle George.