"I can't explain for joy," cried Pierre, hilariously embracing them all again.
"Most extraordinary!" cried the elder brother, extricating his shirt-collar from the embrace, and pulling it up vehemently.
"Draw!" cried the younger, intrepidly.
"Peace, foolish fellows," cried Lucy--"this is your old play-fellow, Pierre Glendinning."
"Pierre? why, Pierre?" cried the lads--"a hug all round again! You've grown a fathom!--who would have known you? But, then--Lucy? I say, Lucy?--what business have you here in this--eh? eh?--hugging-match, I should call it?"
"Oh! Lucy don't mean any thing," cried Pierre--"come, one more all round."
So they all embraced again; and that evening it was publicly known that Pierre was to wed with Lucy.
Whereupon, the young officers took it upon themselves to thin
