your ability to learn anything. I have
been trying to teach you provincials the rudiments of drill for the past
fortnight, without success. In faith, you seem to know less now than you
did before I began."

"Yes?" I asked, my anger quite mastering me. "But may not that be the
fault of the teacher, Lieutenant Allen?"

He was out of his chair with an oath, and would have come across the
table at me, but that those on either side held him back.

"I suppose you considered your words before you spoke them, Lieutenant
Stewart?" asked Preston, looking at me coldly, and still keeping tight
hold on the swearing man at his side.

"Fully," I answered, as I arose from my chair.

"You know, of course, that there remains only one thing to be done?" he
continued, with a glance I thought compassionate, and so resented.

"Certainly," I answered again. "I may be able to teach the gentleman a
very pretty thrust in tierce."

Upon this Allen fell to cursing again, but Preston silenced him with a
gesture of his hand.

"I am very willing," I added, "to give him the lesson at once, if he so
desires. There is a charming place just without. I marked it as I passed
to enter here, though with no thought I should so soon have need of it."

Now all this was merely the empty braggartry of youth, which I blush to
remember. Nor was Allen the blustering bully I then deemed him, as I was
afterwards to find out for myself. But I know of nothing which will so
gloss over and disguise a man's real nature as a glass of wine too much.

"I shall be happy to give the lesson at once," I repeated.

"Yes, at once!" cried Allen savagely. "I'll teach you, sir, to keep a
civil tongue in your head when you address an officer of the line."

"It seems that we are both to learn a lesson, then," I said lightly. "It
remains only to be seen which is the better teacher. Will one of the
other gentlemen present act as my second?"

"I shall be happy to do so, Lieutenant Stewart," cried my neighbor,
stepping forward.

"Ah, Lieutenant Pennington, thank you," and I looked into his face with
pleasure, for it was the one, of all those present, which I liked the
best. "Will you arrange the details for me?"

"May I speak to you a moment first?" he asked, looking at me anxiously.

"Certainly," I answered, and together we walked over to one corner
of the room.

"Believe me, Lieutenant Stewart," he said, in a low voice, "I deem you a
brave man, and I honor you for def