Then she added with a light laugh: "Come, let me try you.

Portons armes! Presentons armes!--How beautifully you do it!--Par le flanc gauche! En avant--marche!" Maurice swung, clicked his heels and, with a covert glance at Madame, led the way into the dining hall, whistling, "Behold the saber of my father!" "Ah, I do not see the Colonel," said Maurice; for night and day the old soldier had been with them.
"He has gone to Brunnstadt," said Madame, "but will return this evening." The breakfast was short and merry.

Words passed across the table that were as crisp as the toast.

Maurice remarked the advent of two liveried servants, stolid Germans by the way, who, as he afterward found, did not understand French.
"So the Colonel has gone to Brunnstadt ?" said Maurice; which was a long way of asking why the Colonel had gone to Brunnstadt.
"Yes," said Madame; "he has gone to consult Madame the duchess to see what shall be done to you, Monsieur." "To be done to me ?" ignoring the challenge in her eyes.
"Yes.

You must not forget that you promised me your sword, and I have taken the liberty of presenting it to her Highness." "I remember nothing about promising my sword," said Maurice, gazing ceiling-ward.
"What! There was a mental reservation ?" "No, Madame.