“But the major? What he said to me before all the men was dreadful.”
“Not at all. He was bound to say it. He might have spoken less harshly; but—wonderful!—here he is.”
For just then I nearly jumped out of my chair on hearing the major’s voice asking for Captain Brace, and the next moment he had stridden into the room.
“How nice and cool you are here,” he said. “Ah, Vincent, my lad, feel a bit sore after our gallop?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, gloomily, as the major seated himself at the table, helped himself to coffee and curry, and began to eat.
“You’ll soon get over that. It’s rough work at first; but use is second nature. I say, that’s a very pretty little nag of yours; rather slight, but quite up to your weight. She gallops splendidly. Here, I’m regularly breakfasting. I wanted to have a few words with you, so I came over, as my wife was not down.”
“Shall I go, sir?” I said, rising.
“No, no, my dear boy; sit still.”
I stared. Not an hour before he was bullying me fiercely before the whole troop.
Brace saw my face, and laughed.