He lighted a match and moodily burned Molly's letter to ashes in the fireplace. He also stirred the ashes up, for he was honourable in little things--like Ricky--and also, alas! apparently no novice.
Dorothy's letter lay on the table--her third since she had left for Paris. He opened his knife and split the envelope carefully, still thinking of Lorraine.
"MY OWN DEAR JACK,--There is something I have been trying to tell you in the other three letters, but I have not succeeded, and I am going to try again. I shall tuck it away in some quiet little corner of my page; so if you do not read carefully between every line, you may not find it, after all.
"I have just seen Lady Hesketh. She looks pale and ill--the excitement in the city and that horrid National Guard keep our nerves on edge every moment. Sir Thorald is away on business, she says--where, I forgot to ask her. I saw the Empress driving in the Bois yesterday. Some ragamuffins hissed her, and I felt sorry for her. Oh, if men only knew what women suffer! But don't think I am suffering. I am not, Jack; I am very well and very cheerful. Betty Castlemaine is going to be engaged to Cecil, and the announcement will be in all the English papers. Oh, dear! I don't know why that should make me sad, but it does. No, it doesn't, Jack, dear.
"The city is very noisy; the National Guard parade every day; they seem to be all officers and drummers and no men. Everybody says we gained a great victory on the 2d of August. I wonder whether Rickerl was in it? Do you know? His regiment is the 11th Uhlans. Were they there? Were any hurt? Oh, Jack, I am so miserable! They speak of a battle at Wissembourg and one at the Spicheren. Were the 11th Uhlans there? Try to find out, dear, and write me at once. Don't forget--the 11th Uhlans. Oh, Jack, darling! can't you understand?
Your loving sister, DOROTHY."
"Understand? What?" repeated Jack. He read the letter again carefully.
"I can't see what the mischief is extraordinary in that," he mused, "unless she's giving me a tip about Sir Thorald; but no--she can't know anything in that direction. Now what is it that she has hidden away? Oh, here's a postscript."
He turned the sheet and read: "My love to aunt and uncle, Jack--don't forget. I am writing them by this mail. Is the 11th Uhlan Regiment in Prince Frederick Charles's Army? Be sure to find out. There is absolutely nothing in the Paris papers about the 11th Uhlans, and I am astonished. But what can one expect from Paris journals? I tried to subscribe to the Berlin Post and the Hamburger Nachrichten and the Munich Neueste Nachrichten, but the horrid creature at the kiosk said she wouldn't have a German sheet in her place. I hope the Herald will give particulars of losses in both armies. Do you think it will? Oh, why on earth do these two foolish nations fight each other?