"But the mother wouldn't hear of it." Sara could sense the pain in his suddenly roughened tones.
"But why?
You'd make a splendid soldier, Tim"-- eyeing his long length affectionately.
"I should have loved it," he said wistfully.

"I wanted it more than anything.

But mother worried so frightfully whenever I suggested the idea that I had to give it up.

I'm to learn to be a landowner and squire and all that sort of tosh instead." "But that could come later." Tim shrugged his shoulders.
"Of course it could.

But mother refused point-blank to let me go to Sandhurst.