His exultation at Brede’s discomfiture was short-lived. After that night it never gave him a moment’s pleasure. He sought to drown the memory of it in idle thought, in boisterous fun, in hot discussion with his fellows; but all expedients were vain. It was a veritable Banquo’s ghost. He lost strength, hope, courage, ambition. Before the utterance of that fatal falsehood he had not thought but that he should soon regain his office, his honor, and his old position in the school. Now he did not even wish to do so.
But of Brede he had scarcely a thought now, except the occasional flashing up of that old hatred and disgust in his heart. They were little more to each other than strangers.
Once they met and exchanged words. It was in the drill-hall, while they were waiting for supper. There was a small boy at the school who was called by his companions “Apache,” or, more briefly, “Patchy.” He had come there from an army post in the far West, where his father, a government officer, was stationed; and it had pleased his fellows to pretend that they supposed him to belong to the Apache tribe of Indians.
Brede was annoying this boy, who liked play well enough so long as it was not too boisterous, but who felt that he was being handled a little too roughly now, and who called, still half in fun, to Brightly, who was passing at the time, to come to his aid.
Brede had not intended to hurt the lad, and would not have done so; but this appeal to his enemy angered him, and he gave the child’s arm a twist that caused the little fellow to cry out with a pain not now assumed.
Brightly had stopped for a moment, uncertain whether to respond; but when the cry came, he advanced a step toward the two, and said to Brede, “Let the boy alone.”
The captain loosed his hold of Patchy, who immediately made his escape, and thrusting his hands in his pockets, stared for a moment in feigned contempt at his adversary.
“I don’t take orders from disgraced officers!” he said.
Brightly answered, trying to be calm, “A person who has been guilty of forging records shouldn’t talk to others about disgrace.”