“Yes, sir. Done you good, hasn’t it? and you can dry your head. Puzzle some of them long-haired chaps to get theirs dry.”
Samson went off with his young master’s simple toilet arrangements, and Fred joined his brother-officers in their frugal meal, after which he spent the morning in a state of indecision.
“I will do it,” he said, when afternoon had come; and, giving his sword-belt a hitch, and thrusting his morion a little on one side, he began striding forward, planting his boots down heavily on the soft heather, in which his great spurs kept catching till he at last nearly fell headlong.
Recovering himself, he went on, hand upon hip, and beating his gloves upon his thigh, till he came to where Colonel Forrester was slowly pacing up and down, with his hands clasped behind his back.
As Fred drew nearer, an orderly came up to the colonel, and presented a letter, which brought the lad to a standstill. He had been having a long struggle with self, and had mastered his shrinking, but he was so near the balance of vacillation still, that he felt glad of the excuse to hang back, and walked aside, feeling like one who has been reprieved.
“How do I know what he will say?” thought Fred, glancing back at his father’s stern, wrinkled countenance as he read his despatch. “It isn’t like the old days, though I used sometimes to feel shrinking enough then. It is not between father and son, but between colonel and one of his followers.”
Fred felt as if he would like to walk right off; but there were those at the Hall occupying his thoughts, and he made an effort over his moral cowardice and stopped short, meaning to go to his father as soon as the messenger had left.
He had not long to wait, for the orderly saluted and rode off, but there was something else now to check him. His father looked so very severe, and as if there was something very important on his mind.
“I have chosen a bad time,” thought Fred. “I’ll go away and wait.”
“No, no,” he said, half aloud; “how can I be so foolish? I will go up and speak to him like a man. It is mean and cowardly to hang back.”