standing steadfastly,
with never a trace of wound or weakness, still able and willing to write
[Greek: NIKH] on his shield.

When our poor Dick was once thoroughly impressed, for the first time,
with awe or admiration, either for man or woman, he generally fell into
a species of trance, from which it was exceedingly difficult to bring
him round. He would have sat there, staring stupidly, till morning, with
perfect satisfaction to himself, if Molyneux had not attacked him with a
direct question, "How long do you think of staying at Dorade? And have
you made any plans afterward?"

_Le mouton qui revait_ roused himself with an effort, and searched the
bottom of his empty glass narrowly for a reply. Eventually he succeeded
in finding one:

"Cecil talks about two months; then we are to go on by Nice, Genoa,
Florence, Rome, and Naples, and so come back by--Italy." He had got up
the first names by rote, and run them off glibly enough, but was
evidently at fault about the last one. I fancy he had some vague idea of
Austrian troops being quartered in these regions, and looked upon
Hesperia in the light of an obscure state or moderate-sized town
somewhere in the north of Europe.

Harry was balked in his inclination to laugh; the rising smile was
checked upon his lip, just in time, by a glance from his chief, severely
authoritative.

"Italy?" the latter said, without a muscle moving; "well, I shouldn't
advise you to stay long there. It's rather a small place, and very
stupid; no society whatever. The others will amuse you, as you have
never seen them."

He rose as he spoke the last words. Perhaps he thought he had done that
night "enough for profit and more than enough for glory." The Cool
Captain seldom suffered himself to be bored without an adequate object
very clearly in view.

"Hal, I am going to turn you out. It is far too late for you to be
sitting up, and we have a good deal to do to-morrow."

Molyneux did not quite comprehend what extraordinary labors were before
any of them, but he rose without making an objection, and Tresilyan
prepared to accompany him. Dick considered that individually he had been
remarkably brilliant, and had left a favorable impression behind him.
But all this newly-acquired confidence, and much strong drink were not
sufficient to embolden him to risk, as yet, a _tete-a-tete_ with Royston
Keene.

Long after they had departed the major sat gazing steadfastly at the
logs burning on the he