n?" So Louise and I kissed.

Then Gustave shook hands with me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and we
left the supper-room together. He came down to see me into my carriage,
and as I was stepping into it he once more shook my hand and said, "You
are very young. I am old enough to be your father. Always remember your
English proverb: 'Look before you leap.' Good night. Bonne fortune
toujours."

Thus ended my first romance and, with it, my most enjoyable visit to
Paris.

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[1] "I like them all; I like them all equally well."

[2] Take care. You are taking too many risks.

CHAPTER VIII

SOLDIERING IN IRELAND

On obtaining his commission a young officer was ordered to report himself
at the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich, to undergo six months'
further training in his regimental duties and in practical work at the
Arsenal, with occasional visits to the School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness.
It was a happy six months if he managed to keep out of trouble, for there
were many temptations to overcome. Straight away from the strict
discipline of the "Shop," the young officer found himself--or at least
considered himself--quite a gentleman at large. In his own opinion he had
become a person of very considerable importance, and the orders he gave
had to be implicitly obeyed. His uniform was a source of extreme pleasure
to him. He was allotted a whole "Tommy" to himself as a soldier servant.
He rejoiced in the possession of quite a big room for his quarters. And
there was the Mess.

At that time there had been an amalgamation of the English and Indian
Artillery, which were combined into one General List, so that the whole
of the Artillery formed one Regiment comprising Horse, Field and Garrison
Artillery. The headquarters were at Woolwich, and the Royal Artillery
Mess was the Headquarters Mess, and is so still, though lately there have
been further sub-divisions of the Regiment. Still, these have not as yet,
so far as I know, resulted in any change as regards the Headquarters
Mess. It remains to be seen what changes will or will not be made in the
future.

One of the institutions attached to the Royal Artillery Mess was the
Garrison Theatre. At regular intervals the Royal Artillery officers gave
performances at this theatre. Let me tell you that it is seldom that an
Engineer or Artillery officer was not a first-rate dancer; for, at the
"Shop," two or three nights a week dancing took place in the gymna