FROM STRASBURG TO CONSTANCE.
The party on board of the Young America were in the highest spirits on the morning of their departure. All of them had now been decorated with the white ribbon of the Order of the Faithful. Even Raymond and Lindsley were entirely satisfied with the good faith and fairness of the principal—better satisfied than they were with their own conduct. What had before been regarded as defeat was now triumph, for a failure to achieve success in doing wrong is actually victory, especially if followed, as in this instance, by real regret, genuine penitence.
Grace Arbuckle, perhaps conscious that she had exerted a salutary influence upon the students through the pleasantry of the Order of the Faithful, was as happy as the young gentlemen themselves. She appeared on deck at an early hour, and when the officers and seamen presented themselves, in their best uniforms, wearing the white ribbon, she was so delighted she could not help laughing heartily.
"Commodore Kendall, are you going to wear that ribbon to Paris?" she asked, as Paul touched his cap to her.
"Certainly I am. I should as soon think of going without my coat as without that," replied he.
"But how absurd!"
"Absurd? Vous ne pouvez pas faire un sifflet de la queue d'un cochon," added he, very seriously.
"C'est vrai; but what has that to do with the ribbon? Do you mean to call that a pig's tail?"
"No; on the contrary, it is the wing of an angel—it was bestowed by you. I only mean to say it would be quite impossible to go to Germany without this ribbon. It is our talisman to keep us faithful to duty; and I am afraid we should get into mischief if we went without it. Every member will wear his decoration. But, Miss Arbuckle, I think you ought to wear the white ribbon also."
"I!"