Lucy. "But it
was an awful risk of life for one man to pursue three."

"A soldier, madam," replied Roberts, bowing to her for the compliment,
"in the moment of danger, or when the flag of his sovereign is likely
to be sullied, should never remember that he has a life; or remember
it only that it may be devoted to the glory of his country and the
maintenance of her freedom."

"That's well said, Edward," observed Mr. Mainwaring; "very well
expressed indeed. The clauses of that sentence all follow in a neat,
consecutive order. It is, indeed, all well put together as if it were an
exercise."

Edward could not help smiling at this unconscious trait of the old
school-master peeping out.

"That general is a fine old fellow," said Sam, "and knew how to reward
true courage. But you see, Mr. Mainwaring and ladies, it's all natural,
all the heart of man."

"There's Mr. Mitchell, our clergyman," observed Mrs. Mainwaring, looking
out of the window; "I wish he would come in. Shall I call him, dear?"

"Never mind now, my love," replied her husband. "I like the man well
enough; he is religious, they say, and charitable, but his early
education unfortunately was neglected. His sermons never hang well
together; he frequently omits the exordium, and often winds them up
without the peroration at all. Then he mispronounces shockingly, and is
full of false quantities. It was only on last Sunday that he laid the
accent on _i_ in Dalilah. Such a man's sermons, I am sorry to say,
can do any educated man little good. Her's a note, my love, from Mrs.
Fletcher. I met the servant coming over with it, and took it from him.
She wishes to hear from you in an hour or two: it's a party, I think."

He threw the note over to his wife, who, after apologizing to the
company, opened, and began to read it.

Honest old Mainwaring was an excellent man, and did a great deal of
good in a quiet way, considering his sphere of life. In attending to the
sermon, however, when at church, he laid himself back in his pew, shut
his eyes, put the end of his gold-headed cane to his lips, and set
a criticising. If all the rhetorical rules were duly observed, the
language clear, and the parts of the sermon well arranged, and if,
besides, there was neither false accent, nor false quantity, nor any
bad grammar, he pronounced it admirable, and praised the preacher to
the skies. Anything short of this, however, he looked upon not only as
a failure, but entertained stron