Surely there were sadder faces at home than any
that lined the road; and the anxious crowd at the station represented
very inadequately the "girls they left behind them."
When the first certain rumors of war prevailed, Royston Keene was
shooting woodcocks in the Hebrides; he hastened back to town without a
moment's delay. We know how quick and unerring, on such occasions, is
the instinct of the Rapacidae. His object was to get on the
active-service list as soon as possible. With his powerful interest and
high reputation, this was not difficult; and he was soon gazetted to a
Light Cavalry regiment. But he did not go out with the first
detachments, and the summer was far advanced when he reached the Crimea.
There was great jubilation at his coming. Many out there knew him
personally, well; and others rejoiced at having the opportunity of
judging for themselves if he really deserved his fame. It soon became
apparent that the Cool Captain was strangely altered. To be sure, the
opportunities for general conviviality were few, for mess-rooms and
ante-rooms were phantoms of the imagination, or only pleasant memories;
still, there was a certain amount of agreeable though select _reunions_,
where the vintages of Bordeaux and Burgundy were sufficiently replaced
by regulation rum.
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