“He’s an officer in the Army, dear,” corrected Miss Letty gently: “a retired officer,—but still an officer.”
“What is the good of being an officer if you retire before you ever fight?” asked Boy.
All the ladies smiled, but volunteered no answer.
“You see it wouldn’t be any use,” went on Boy reflectively. “I shouldn’t care to have to learn how to fight if I wasn’t ever wanted to do it. I think I’d rather be like Rattling Jack!”
“Who on earth is ‘Rattling Jack’?” asked the youngest lady present, suppressing a laugh.
“He is an old man at home,” explained Boy. “He used to be on a merchant vessel, trading to India, Japan, and China, and all that, and he says he has seen nearly the whole world. People say he’s got a lot of money hidden away in his mattress—and that when he was in Ceylon he managed to steal a ruby worth ten thousand pounds! Fancy! Wasn’t that clever of him? And he’s got it still!”
“Then he’s a thief!” said Miss Letty, trying to look severe. “It isn’t at all clever to steal. It’s very wicked! He must be a bad man!”
“Yes, I suppose he is,” said Boy with a little sigh. “But of course the person from whom he stole the ruby ought to have come after him. But he never did. So that was lucky! And some people say it’s only a bit of red glass he’s got!”
“Whatever it is, a bit of glass or a ruby, he had no business to steal it!” said Miss Letty.
“Oh, but he hasn’t been found out,” answered Boy. “And he doesn’t mind telling people he’s got it!”