“Well—he’s my father.

“I mean the old man.”

“And he’s my father too!”

“Why, the whole regiment?”

“Exactly so. The whole regiment is my father.”

“Ah! I see.”

“But now tell me, why have you followed the regiment? I thought when I said good bye to you that I should never, never see you again.”

“I don’t think you did think so, because you must have known I couldn’t live away from you, because you must have known I loved you, and I do love you.”

“Ha, ha!”

“Will you not believe me?”