vidual people?"

"What is your rule for individual people?" he asked, laughing, and
looking down at me, as he held the gate open. I can see the look and
the attitude now.

"It is not _my_ rule," I said.

"_The_ rule, then. What should a man do, Miss Randolph, when he is
unjustly attacked?"

I felt I was on very untenable ground, talking to a soldier. If I was
right, what was the use of his grey coat, or of West Point itself? We
were mounting the little steep pitch beyond the gate, where the road
turns; and I waited till I got upon level footing. Then catching a
bright inquisitive glance of the hazel eyes, I summoned up my courage
and spoke.

"I have no rule but the Bible, Mr. Thorold."

"The Bible! What does the Bible say? It tells us of a great deal of
fighting."

"Of bad men."

"Yes, but the Jews were commanded to fight, were they not?"

"To punish bad men. But we have got another rule since that."

"What is it?"

"If any man smite thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other also."

"Is it possible you think the Bible means that literally?" he said.

"Do you think it would say what it did not mean?"

"But try it by the moral effect; what sort of a fellow would a man be
who did so, Miss Randolph?"

"I think he would be fine!" I said; for I was thinking of One who,
"when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not." But I could not tell all my thought to Mr. Thorold;
no more than I could to Dr. Sandford.

"And would you have him stand by and see another injured?" my
companion asked. "Wouldn't you have him fight in such a case?"

I had not considered that question. I was silent.

"Suppose he sees wrong done; wrong that a few well-planted blows, or
shots, if you like--shots are but well-directed blows," he said,
smiling--"wrong that a few well-planted blows would prevent. Suppose
somebody were to attack you now, for instance; ought I not to fight
for it?"

"I should like to have you," I said.

"Come!" he said, laughing, and stretching out his hand to shake mine,
"I see you will let me keep my profession, after all. And why should
not a nation do, on a larger scale, what a man may do?"

"Why it may," I said.

"Then West Point is justified."

"But very few wars in the world are conducted on that principle," I
said.

"Very few. In fact I do not at this moment recollect the instances.
But you would allow a man, or a nation, to fight in self-defence,
would not you?"