Fiction > Serialisations > London, 1896-1897 - St. Ives > Volume 10

466 THE PALL MALL MAGAZINE.
me, I prepared a series of baits with which to angle for my information. It will
be seen the first was good enough.
Perhaps two days after, Master Ronald put in an appearance by himself I
had no hold upon the boy, and pretermitted my design till I should have laid
court to him and engaged his interest. He was prodigiously embarrassed, not
having previously addressed me otherwise than by a bow and blushes ; and he
advanced to me with an air of one stubbornly performing a duty, like a raw soldier
under fire. I laid down my carving ; greeted him with a good deal of formality,
such as I thought he would enjoy; and finding him to remain silent, branched off
into narratives of my campaigns such as Goguelat himself might have scrupled to
endorse. He visibly thawed and brightened ; drew more near to where I sat ;
forgot his timidity so far as to put many questions ; and at last, with another
blush, informed me he was himself expecting a commission.
" Well," said I, " they are fine troops, your British troops in the Peninsula. A
young gentleman of S[)irit may well be proud to be engaged at the head of such
soldiers."
'" I know that," he said ; " I think of nothing else. I think shame to be
dangling here at home and going through with this foolery of education, while
others, no older than myself, are in the field."
" I cannot blame you," said I. " I have felt the same myself."
" There are — there are no troops, are there, quite so good as ours ? " he asked.
"Well,'' said I, "there is a point about them: they have a defect, — they are
not to be trusted in a retreat. I have seen them behave very ill in a retreat."
" I believe that is our national character," he said — God forgive him ! — with an
air of pride.
" I have seen your national character running away at least, and had the
honour to run after it ! " rose to my lips, but I was not so ill advised as to give
it utterance. Every one should be flattered, but boys and women without stint ;
and I put in the rest of the afternoon narrating to him tales of British heroism,
for which I should not like to engage that they were all true.
" I am quite surprised," he said at last. " People tell you the French are
insincere. Now, I think your sincerity is beautiful. I think you have a noble
character. I admire you very much. I am very grateful for your kindness to — to
one so young," and he offered me his hand.
" I shall see you again soon ? " said I.
" Oh, now ! Yes, very soon," said he. " I — I wish to tell you. I would not let
Flora — Miss Gilchrist, I mean — come to-day. I wished to see more of you myself.
I trust you are not offended : you know, one should be careful about strangers."
I approved his caution, and he took himself away : leaving me in a mixture of
contrarious feelings, part ashamed to have played on one so gullible, part raging
that I should have burned so much incense before the vanity of England ; yet, in
the bottom of my soul, delighted to think I had made a friend — or, at least, begun
to make a friend — of Flora's brother.
As I had half expected, both made their appearance the next day. I struck
so fine a shade betwixt the pride that is allowed to soldiers and the sorrowful
humility that befits a captive, that I declare, as I went to meet them, I might
have afforded a subject for a painter. So much was high comedy, I must confess ;
but so soon as my eyes lighted full on her dark face and eloquent eyes, the blood
leaped into my cheeks — and that was nature ! I thanked them, but not the least
with exultation ; it was my cue to be mournful, and to take the pair of them as one.
" I have been thinking," I said, " you have been so good to me, both of you,