I did take it so kind of her to think of a chap like me." He was at high-pressure sentiment--what with his education for a hero and his master's love-stricken state.
"You saw no more of her, Tom ?" "No, sir.

That was the last!" "That was the last you saw of her, Tom ?" "Well, sir, I saw nothin' more." "And so she went out of sight!" "Clean gone, that she were, sir." "Why did they take her away?
what have they done with her?
where have they taken her to ?" These red-hot questionings were addressed to the universal heaven rather than to Tom.
"Why didn't she write ?" they were resumed.

"Why did she leave?
She's mine.

She belongs to me! Who dared take her away?
Why did she leave without writing ?--Tom!" "Yes, sir," said the well-drilled recruit, dressing himself up to the word of command.

He expected a variation of the theme from the change of tone with which his name had been pronounced, but it was again, "Where have they taken her to ?" and this was even more perplexing to Tom than his hard sum in arithmetic had been.