"But a sword looks all right—it shines—even when it is put to a wrong use!"
"For a while," answered the major. "It takes time for anything that has turned bad to lose its good looks."
"But, majie," said Mark, "how can a sword ever grow ugly?"
Again the major had to think.
"When people put things to a bad use, they are not good themselves," he said; "and when they are not good, they are lazy, and neglect things. When a soldier takes to drinking or cruelty, he neglects his weapons, and the rust begins to eat them, and at last will eat them up."
"What is rust, majie?"
"It is a sword's laziness, making it rot. A sword is a very strong thing, but not taken care of will not last so long as a silk handkerchief."
At this point the major began to fear Mark was about to lead him into depths and contradictions out of which he would hardly emerge.
"Sha'n't we go on with our reading?" he said.
Mark, however, had not lost sight of the subject they had started with, and did not want to leave it yet.