e similarly explained. Should the affair come
to the king's ears, 'tis best to keep out of his way until it has
blown over.

"Of course, with us it does not matter quite so much as with
Prussian officers. Frederick's is not the only service open to us.
Good swords are welcome either at the Russian or Austrian courts,
to say nothing of those of half a dozen minor principalities. At
all of these we are sure to find countrymen and friends, and if
England really enters upon the struggle--and it seems to me that if
there is a general row she can scarcely stand aloof--men who have
learned their drill and seen some service might be welcomed, even
if their fathers wielded their arms on the losing side, ten years
ago.

"Of course, to a Prussian officer it would be practical ruin to be
dismissed from the army. This is so thoroughly well understood
that, in cases of duels, there is a sort of general conspiracy on
the part of all the officers and surgeons of a regiment to hush the
matter up. Still, if an officer is insulted--or thinks that he is
insulted, which is about the same thing--he fights, and takes the
consequences.

"I am not altogether sorry that I am an aide-de-camp, and I think
that you can congratulate yourself on the same fact; for we are not
thrown, as is a regimental officer, into the company of Prussians,
and there is therefore far less risk of getting into a quarrel.

"I have no doubt the marshal, himself, will give you a few lessons
shortly. He is considered to be one of the finest swordsmen in
Europe, and in many respects he is as young as I am, and as fond of
adventure. He gave me a few when I first came to him, but he said
that it was time thrown away, for that I must put myself in the
hands of some good maitre d'armes before he could teach me anything
that would be useful. I have been working hard with one since, and
know a good deal more about it than I did; but my teacher says that
I am too hot and impetuous to make a good swordsman, and that
though I should do well enough in a melee, I shall never be able to
stand up against a cool man, in a duel. Of course the marshal had
no idea of teaching me arms, but merely, as he said, of showing me
a few passes that might be useful to me, on occasion. In reality he
loves to keep up his sword play, and once or twice a week Van
Bruff, who is the best master in Berlin, comes in for half an
hour's practice with him, before breakfast."

After Lindsay had left him