Chapter 16 - Page 2

discovering that Jim and the widow were perfectly alive to each
other's whereabouts, and in the interchange of telegraphic signs of
affection, which on the latter's part took the form of a playful
fluttering of her handkerchief or waving of her parasol. Richard
Vine had placed Margery in front of him, to protect her from the
crowd, as he said, he himself surveying the scene over her bonnet.
Margery would have been even more surprised than she was if she had
known that Jim was not only aware of Mrs. Peach's presence, but also
of her own, the treacherous Mr. Vine having drawn out his flame-
coloured handkerchief and waved it to Jim over the young woman's head
as soon as they had taken up their position.

'My partner makes a tidy soldier, eh--Miss Tucker?' said the senior
lime-burner. 'It is my belief as a Christian that he's got a party
here that he's making signs to--that handsome figure o' fun straight
over-right him.'

'Perhaps so,' she said.

'And it's growing warm between 'em if I don't mistake,' continued the
merciless Vine.

Margery was silent, biting her lip; and the troops being now set in
motion, all signalling ceased for the present between soldier Hayward
and his pretended sweetheart.

'Have you a piece of paper that I could make a memorandum on, Mr.
Vine?' asked Margery.

Vine took out his pocket-book and tore a leaf from it, which he
handed her with a pencil.

'Don't move from here--I'll return in a minute,' she continued, with
the innocence of a woman who means mischief. And, withdrawing
herself to the back, where the grass was clear, she pencilled down
the words

'JIM'S MARRIED.'

Armed with this document she crept into the throng behind the
unsuspecting Mrs. Peach, slipped the paper into her pocket on the top
of her handkerchief; and withdrew unobserved, rejoining Mr. Vine with
a bearing of nonchalance.

By-and-by the troops were in different order, Jim taking a left-hand
position almost close to Mrs. Peach. He bent down and said a few
words to her. From her manner of nodding assent it was surely some
arrangement about a meeting by-and-by when Jim's drill was over, and
Margery was more certain of the fact when, the Review having ended,
and the people having strolled off to another part of the field where
sports were to take place, Mrs. Peach tripped away in the direction
of the city.

'I'll just say a word to my partner afore he goes off the ground, if
you'll spare me a minute,' said the old lime-burner. 'Please stay
here till I'm back again.' He edged along the front till he reached
Jim.

'How is she?' said the latter.

'In a trimming sweat,' said Mr. Vine. 'And my counsel to 'ee is to
carry