I felt very shaky at first, but I know that I drank some wine, and was then able to give some sort of account of what had happened.

The king was there, then, and asked me questions; but whether or not he was there, at first, I cannot say.
I have a vague idea that he told the marshal, too, that he promoted me; but I am not quite sure about that, nor do I know how I got here." "Well, if you are not mistaken about your step, I congratulate you most heartily.

It is seldom, indeed, that anyone gains one in six weeks after his first appointment.

I thought myself lucky, indeed, in getting it after serving only two years and a half; but I got it simply on nomination as one of the marshal's aides-de-camp.

It is customary to get promotion, on such appointment, if there has been two or three years' previous service.
"Well, you have drawn the first blood in this campaign, Drummond; and have not been long in giving very striking proof that your month's hard work in the fencing school has not been thrown away." The conversation was broken off by the entry of the marshal, himself.
"Pooh, pooh, Fergus!" he said, as the latter rose, "there is no occasion for saluting in a bedroom.