But before you wore your sword here?
Tell us of that.

It was a romance--wasn't it ?" "If it were, I have folded down the page, monsieur." "Open it then! Come--what brought you out among us?
Out with it!" "Monsieur, direct obedience is a soldier's duty; but I never heard that inquisitive annoyance was an officer's privilege." These words were calm, cold, a little languid, and a little haughty.
The manner of old habit, the instinct of buried pride spoke in them, and disregarded the barrier between a private of Chasseurs who was but a sous-officier, and a Colonel Commandant who was also a noble of France.
Involuntarily, all the men sitting round the little table, outside the cafe, turned and looked at him.

The boldness of speech and the quietude of tone drew all their eyes in curiosity upon him.
Chanrellon flushed scarlet over his frank brow, and an instant's passion gleamed out of his eyes; the next he threw his three chairs down with a crash, as he shook his mighty frame like an Alpine dog, and bowed with a French grace, with a campaigner's frankness.
"A right rebuke!--fairly given, and well deserved.

I thank you for the lesson." The Chasseur looked surprised and moved; in truth, he was more touched than he showed.

Under the rule of Chateauroy, consideration and courtesy had been things long unshown to him.