The way of it was this: Captain St.Leger had a younger brother, who made an improvident marriage with a Scotch girl when they were both very young.
They had nothing to live on except what the reckless Lancer gave them, for he had next to nothing himself, and she was "bare"-- which is, I understand, the indelicate Scottish way of expressing lack of fortune.
She was, however, I understand, of an old and somewhat good family, though broken in fortune--to use an expression which, however, could hardly be used precisely in regard to a family or a person who never had fortune to be broken in! It was so far well that the MacKelpies--that was the maiden name of Mrs.St.Leger--were reputable--so far as fighting was concerned.

It would have been too humiliating to have allied to our family, even on the distaff side, a family both poor and of no account.
Fighting alone does not make a family, I think.

Soldiers are not everything, though they think they are.

We have had in our family men who fought; but I never heard of any of them who fought because they _wanted_ to.

Mrs.St.Leger had a sister; fortunately there were only those two children in the family, or else they would all have had to be supported by the money of my family.
Mr.St.Leger, who was only a subaltern, was killed at Maiwand; and his wife was left a beggar.