"I said that I should like to enlist as a volunteer." The sergeant laughed.

"Well, they do take volunteers as young as you are, Hector, but they must be cadets of a noble family.

You will have to wait another couple of years before they will enlist you, much less take you as a volunteer." There were a good many Scottish soldiers sitting in the room, when an officer rode up to the door and dismounted.
"It is a general officer," one of the men said, looking out of the window, and as the door opened and the officer entered, all stood up and saluted.
"Sit down, men," he said.

"I am not here to disturb you, but to have a talk with Sergeant MacIntosh.

Have you a room, sergeant, where we can speak privately ?" "Yes, general," the sergeant said, saluting again, and led the way into a little room generally devoted to the use of noncommissioned officers.
The officer caught Hector's eye, and beckoned to him to follow.
"Do you know me, sergeant ?" "Yes, general, you are Viscount Turenne." Hector gave an involuntary exclamation of horror at the thought of the freedom with which he had the day before discoursed with this famous commander.