‘Not to Frenchmen,’ said his friend Rosamund.  ’I would put “Je suis convaincu”:  it is not so familiar.’

’But I have written out the fair copy, ma’am, and that alteration seems a trifle.’

‘I would copy it again and again, Nevil, to get it right.’

‘No:  I’d rather see it off than have it right,’ said Nevil, and he folded the letter.

How the deuce to address it, and what direction to write on it, were further difficulties.  He had half a mind to remain at home to conquer them by excogitation.

Rosamund urged him not to break his engagement to dine at the Halketts’, where perhaps from his friend Colonel Halkett, who would never imagine the reason for the inquiry, he might learn how a letter to a crack French regiment should be addressed and directed.

This proved persuasive, and as the hour was late Nevil had to act on her advice in a hurry.

His uncle Everard enjoyed a perusal of the manuscript in his absence.

CHAPTER II

UNCLE, NEPHEW, AND ANOTHER

The Honourable Everard Romfrey came of a race of fighting earls, toughest of men, whose high, stout, Western castle had weathered our cyclone periods of history without changeing hands more than once, and then but for a short year or two, as if to teach the original possessors the wisdom of inclining to the stronger side.  They had a queen’s chamber in it, and a king’s; and they stood well up against the charge of having dealt darkly with the king.  He died among them—­how has not been told.  We will not discuss the conjectures here.  A savour of North Sea foam and ballad pirates hangs about the early chronicles of the family.  Indications of an ancestry that had lived between the wave and the cloud were discernible in their notions of right and wrong.  But a settlement on solid earth has its influences.  They were chivalrous knights bannerets, and leaders in the tented field, paying and taking fair ransom for captures; and they were good landlords, good masters blithely followed to the wars.  Sing an old battle of Normandy, Picardy, Gascony, and you celebrate deeds of theirs.  At home they were vexatious neighbours to a town of burghers claiming privileges:  nor was it unreasonable that the Earl should flout the pretensions of the town to read things for themselves, documents, titleships, rights, and the rest.  As well might the flat plain boast of seeing as far as the pillar.  Earl and town fought the fight of Barons and Commons in epitome.  The Earl gave way; the Barons gave way.  Mighty men may thrash numbers for a time; in the end the numbers will be thrashed into the art of beating their teachers.  It is bad policy to fight the odds inch by inch.  Those primitive school masters of the million liked it, and took their pleasure in that way.  The Romfreys did not breed warriors for a parade at Court; wars, though frequent, were