"Then, pray, what's the matter?"
"Matter?" I cried bitterly. "You saw what a fool I made of myself this
morning."
His face wore a peculiar look as he shook his head.
"No," he said; "I was not there that time. What did you do?"
"Not there! Why, you saw me get all wrong, and the men nearly ride me
down, as Barton said they would, with that horse."
"I thought so," said Brace drily. "How curious it is that a prophecy of
evil always makes more impression than one of good."
"I don't understand you," I said.
"My words were simple, my lad. Barton ran that horse down because he
did not buy it for you. Now, naturally enough, I kept my eye upon you
all through the drill, so as to see how you would get on. Your horse
behaved admirably; and I should be ready to give you a couple of hundred
rupees more for it than it cost; while, for a beginner, I thought you
did remarkably well. Here: have some coffee."
"Well!" I cried, excitedly, "when I was nearly ridden over!"
"You were not nearly ridden over; nothing of the kind."
"But you heard what the major said."
"Yes. He shouts pretty sharply sometimes. You were out of your place,
of course."
"Oh yes; I was out of my place, of course," I said bitterly. "I feel
completely disgraced."
"Go on with your breakfast, boy," cried Brace, with a good-humoured
laugh. "Disgraced! You, a mere calf in just learning your drill. If
you had been in the troop for four or five years, and made such a
blunder, why, it would have been rather disgraceful; but for you! Why,
we are quite proud of the rapid way you are picking up the evolutions."
"No: you are saying that to comfort me," I cried bitterly.
"I have a good many faults, Vincent," he said quietly; "but I don't
think insincerity is one of them. If I say a thing to you, my lad,
pleasant or unpleasant, you may take it for granted that I believe it to
be honest and true."
"But the major? What he said to me before all the men was dreadful."
"Not at all. He was bound to say it. He might have spoken less
harshly; but--wonderful!--here he is."
For just then I nearly jumped out of my chair on hearing the major's
voice asking for Captain Brace, and the next moment he had stridden into
the room.
"How nice and cool you are here," he said. "Ah, Vincent, my lad, feel a
bit sore after our gallop?"
"Yes, sir," I replied, gloomily, as the major seated himself at the
table, helped himself to coffee and curry, and began to eat.
"You'll soon get over that. It's rough work at first; but use is second
nature. I say, that's a very pretty little nag of yours; rather slight,
but quite up to your weight. She gallops splendidly. Here, I'm
regularly breakfasting. I wanted to have a few words with you, so I
came over, as my wife was not down."
"Shall I go, sir?" I said, rising.
"No, no, my dear boy; sit still."
I stared. Not an hour before he was bullying me fiercely before the
whole troop.
Brace saw my face, and laughed.
"Vincent is in the doldrums," he said.
"What about?" grumbled the major, with his mouth full of curry.
"You asked him if he was sore. He is: about the thrashing you gave him
this morning."
"Bah! nonsense! Good lesson for you, boy. You won't make that mistake
again. You are getting on capitally. Wish we had a couple more of your
breed."
"There, Vincent," said Brace; "what do you say now?"
I could not say anything, only feel as if the morning had suddenly
become bright and joyous; and I began to make a wonderful breakfast;
while the major chatted over a few matters connected with the discipline
of the troop and the behaviour of some of the men.
"Well," said Brace, as soon as the major had gone; for he jumped up
suddenly on receiving a message from his own quarters, leaving his
half-eaten curry and a newly filled cup of coffee.
"The general down," he cried. "Bring Vincent over this evening for an
hour or two."
"Well," said Brace, "how are the spirits now?"
"Oh, better," I said, smiling; "but I do wish I was more clever."
"Rubbish! Don't be impatient. A soldier can't learn his duties in a
month; and when he has learned them, it requires incessant practice to
keep up to the mark; and will need," he continued sadly, "to work hard;
and, by the way, pay all the attention you can to your sword practice
and fencing. I would not miss any of the pistol practice either."
I looked at him curiously, for there seemed to be a meaning underlying
his words.
"You need not worry about the riding-school; you can't help getting on
well in that. What are you looking at?"
"You don't think there is going to be war, do you?"
"I think a soldier ought always to be ready in case there is," he
replied evasively.
"Yes; but not war out here. You don't think Russia means--"
"Hallo! Who has been talking to you about Russia? No, Vincent, my boy,
I do not; but I should not be surprised if we have a bit of trouble in
one of the provinces before long. I hope not; but we are always having
a little affair with some native prince. However, if we do, it may not
affect us. Our troop may be a thousand miles away. India is a big
place."
"Yes, and isn't it wonderful that so few Englishmen should keep so many
millions of the natives in subjection?"
"In some respects, yes, my lad; in others, no. The great power comes
from the fact that India embraces many nations who do not all think
alike, neither are they of the same religion; and hence if we had
trouble with one nation, the possibility is that we could bring some of
the others to fight upon our side. But matters are not as they should
be, Vincent; and I cannot help having forebodings now and then. We do
not treat the people as we should. There is a little too much of the
iron heel of the despot on their necks."
I thought of Barton's treatment of the syce, and of many similar
incidents wherever I had been since I came out, and then forgot every
one but the fact that the post had come in, and with it a letter from my
father, enclosing two others from my mother and sister.
"Where are they now?" asked Brace.
"In the north-west provinces," I said eagerly, "at Nussoor."
"Some hundred miles away, Vincent. You are not likely to meet them for
some time to come. You will have to introduce me to your people when
you do."