"Yes, and believe me, Mr. Allen, that I only wish that I could ask you to volunteer; you see yourself that it would be impossible."
"Yes, it would."
"Having been the commander, it would be humiliating for you to accept a lower rank, and besides, the men might think you had a right to give general orders, and thus there would be confusion."
"You are right."
"When can you be ready to leave?"
"I do not know."
"What do you say to the first of June?"
"It depends."
"On what? I will give you an escort."
"When I leave I will arrange for my own escort, should I need one. But it was not of that I was thinking."