red in his face, and stormed up and down
the floor, until his son became seriously alarmed;
but, to his great relief, he was soon made aware

that his father's wrath was not turned against
him personally, but against the officials of the
Military Academy who had rejected him. The
Colonel took it as an insult to his own good
name and irreproachable standing as an officer;
he promptly refused any other explanation, and
vainly racked his brain to remember if any
youthful folly of his could possibly have made
him enemies among the teachers of the Academy.
He at last felt satisfied that it was envy
of his own greatness and rapid advancement
which had induced the rascals to take vengeance
on his son. Ralph reluctantly followed
his father back to the country town where the
latter was stationed, and the fair-haired Bertha
vanished from his horizon. His mother's wish
now prevailed, and he began, in his own easy
way, to prepare himself for the University. He
had little taste for Cicero, and still less for
Virgil, but with the use of a "pony" he soon
gained sufficient knowledge of these authors to
be able to talk in a sort of patronizing way
about them, to the great delight of his fond
parents. He took quite a fancy, however, to the
ode in Horace ending with the lines: