"Halt, sir—military jargon already—how can you continue your quarrel with Mr. Lanniere without involving my name?"
Strahan looked blank for a second, then exclaimed: "Another evidence, of extreme youth! Lanniere may go to thunder before I risk annoying you."
"Yes, thank you; please let him go to thunder. He won't talk of the affair, and so can do you no harm."
"Supposing he could, that would be no excuse for annoying you."
"I think you punished him sufficiently before he went, and without ceasing to be a gentleman, too. If you carry out your brave purpose you need not fear for your reputation."
"Well, Miss Marian, I shall carry it out. Society girl as I believed you to be, I like you better than the others. Don't imagine I'm going to be sentimental. I should stand as good a chance of winning a major-general's stars as you. I've seen better fellows raising the siege and disappearing, you know. Well, the story I thought would be short is becoming long. I wanted to tell you first what I proposed; for, hang it all! I've read it in your eyes that you thought I was little better than a popinjay, and I wished to prove to you that I could be a man after my fashion."
"I like your fashion, and am grateful for your confidence. What's more, you won't be able to deceive me a bit hereafter. I shall persist in admiring you as a brave man, and shall stand up for you through thick and thin."
"You always had a kind of loyalty to us fellows that we recognized and appreciated."
"I feel now as if I had not been very loyal to any one, not even myself. As with you, however, I must let the future tell a different story."
"If I make good my words, will you be my friend?"