certainly, I cannot recall the time when she was old enough to be
his mother.

When first I knew him he had passed through Harrow and
Sandhurst and was a second lieutenant in the Queen's Own
Hussars. He was just of age, but appeared much younger.

He was below medium height, a slight, delicate-looking boy;
although, as a matter of fact, extremely strong, with blue eyes,
many freckles, and hair which threatened to be a decided red, but
which now has lost its fierceness. When he spoke it was with a
lisp, which also has changed, and which now appears to be merely
an intentional hesitation.

His manner of speaking was nervous, eager, explosive. He used
many gestures, some of which were strongly reminiscent of his
father, of whom he, unlike most English lads, who shy at
mentioning a distinguished parent, constantly spoke.

He even copied his father in his little tricks of manner. Standing
with hands shoved under the frock-coat and one resting on each
hip as though squeezing in the waist line; when seated, resting the
elbows on the arms of the chair and nervously locking and
unclasping fingers, are tricks common to both.

He then had and still has a most embarrassing habit of asking
many questions; embarrassing, sometimes, because the questions
are so frank, and sometimes because they lay bare the wide
expanse of one's own ignorance.