I felt that something was interfering to spoil our day; and felt unreasonably sure of it on finding our old seat occupied by three soldiers--two of them supporting a drunken comrade.

We made disconsolately for an empty bench, some fifty yards away.
"They belong to Archibald's regiment," said Miss Plinlimmon as we settled ourselves to talk.

I had noted that she scanned them narrowly.

"Why, here _is_ Archibald!" she exclaimed: and I looked up and saw a young red-coat sauntering towards us.
Her tone, I was jealously glad to observe, had not been entirely joyous.

And Master Archibald, as he drew near, did not seem in the best of tempers.