"He shall never be a soldier," Madam Dorothy broke out.

"That, madam," the colonel said courteously, "will be for the lad
himself and for circumstances to decide. When I was his age there
was nothing less likely than that I should be a soldier; but you
see it came about."

"Believe me, Madam," Monsieur Dessin said deferentially, "it is
good that your son should be a master of fence. Not only may he at
court be forced into quarrels, in which it will be necessary for
him to defend his honour, but in all ways it benefits him. Look at
his figure; nature has given him health and strength, but fencing
has given him that light, active carriage, the arm of steel, and a
bearing which at his age is remarkable. Fencing, too, gives a
quickness, a readiness, and promptness of action which in itself is
an admirable training. Monsieur le colonel has been good enough to
praise my fencing, and I may say that the praise is deserved. There
are few men in France who would willingly have crossed swords with
me," and now he spoke with a hauteur characteristic of a French
noble rather than a fencing master.

Madam Holliday was silent; but just as she was about to speak
again, a sound of horses' hoofs were heard outside. The silence
continued until a domestic entered, and said that Sir William
Brownlow and his son awaited madam's pleasure in the drawing room.

A dark cloud passed over the old colonel's face as Mistress Dorothy
rose and, with a sweeping courtesy, left the room.