gesture of his hand.

"I am very willing," I added, "to give him the lesson at once, if he so
desires. There is a charming place just without. I marked it as I passed
to enter here, though with no thought I should so soon have need of it."

Now all this was merely the empty braggartry of youth, which I blush to
remember. Nor was Allen the blustering bully I then deemed him, as I was
afterwards to find out for myself. But I know of nothing which will so
gloss over and disguise a man's real nature as a glass of wine too much.

"I shall be happy to give the lesson at once," I repeated.

"Yes, at once!" cried Allen savagely. "I'll teach you, sir, to keep a
civil tongue in your head when you address an officer of the line."

"It seems that we are both to learn a lesson, then," I said lightly. "It
remains only to be seen which is the better teacher. Will one of the
other gentlemen present act as my second?"

"I shall be happy to do so, Lieutenant Stewart," cried my neighbor,
stepping forward.

"Ah, Lieutenant Pennington, thank you," and I looked into his face with
pleasure, for it was the one, of all those present, which I liked the
best. "Will you arrange the details for me?"

"May I speak to you a moment first?" he asked, looking at me anxiously.

"Certainly," I answered, and together we walked over to one corner