Fever, or a fall from a horse, account satisfactorily enough for the absence of an officer from parade, and even his total disappearance from the scene can be similarly explained.

Should the affair come to the king's ears, 'tis best to keep out of his way until it has blown over.
"Of course, with us it does not matter quite so much as with Prussian officers.

Frederick's is not the only service open to us.
Good swords are welcome either at the Russian or Austrian courts, to say nothing of those of half a dozen minor principalities.

At all of these we are sure to find countrymen and friends, and if England really enters upon the struggle--and it seems to me that if there is a general row she can scarcely stand aloof--men who have learned their drill and seen some service might be welcomed, even if their fathers wielded their arms on the losing side, ten years ago.
"Of course, to a Prussian officer it would be practical ruin to be dismissed from the army.

This is so thoroughly well understood that, in cases of duels, there is a sort of general conspiracy on the part of all the officers and surgeons of a regiment to hush the matter up.