I sometimes wish I could live in such a place as this altogether." Sylvia was astonished, because she saw he meant it.
"After your life, you would get horribly tired of it in three months." "After my life?
Do you know what that has been ?" "Race meetings, polo matches, hilarious mess dinners." He laughed, rather shortly.
"I suppose so; but they're not the only army duties.

Some of the rest are better, abroad; but they're frequently accompanied by semi-starvation, scorching heat or stinging cold, and fatigue; and it doesn't seem to be the rule that those who bear the heaviest strain are remembered when promotion comes." Sylvia studied him attentively.

Bland was well and powerfully made, and she liked big men--there was more satisfaction in bending them to her will.

In spite of his careless good-humor, he bore a certain stamp of distinction; he was an excellent card-player, he could dance exceptionally well, and she had heard him spoken of as a first-class shot.

It was unfortunate that these abilities were of less account in a military career than she had supposed; but, when properly applied, they carried their possessor some distance in other fields.