“It is now four and twenty years,” commenced Wacousta, “since your father and myself first met as subalterns in the regiment he now commands, when, unnatural to say, an intimacy suddenly sprang up between us which, as it was then to our brother officers, has since been a source of utter astonishment to myself.  Unnatural, I repeat, for fire and ice are not more opposite than were the elements of which our natures were composed.  He, all coldness, prudence, obsequiousness, and forethought.  I, all enthusiasm, carelessness, impetuosity, and independence.  Whether this incongruous friendship—­friendship! no, I will not so far sully the sacred name as thus to term the unnatural union that subsisted between us;—­whether this intimacy, then, sprang from the adventitious circumstance of our being more frequently thrown together as officers of the same company,—­for we were both attached to the grenadiers,—­or that my wild spirit was soothed by the bland amenity of his manners, I know not.  The latter, however, is not improbable; for proud, and haughty, and dignified, as the colonel now is, such was not then the character of the ensign; who seemed thrown out of one of Nature’s supplest moulds, to fawn, and cringe, and worm his way to favour by the wily speciousness of his manners.  Oh God!” pursued Wacousta, after a momentary pause, and striking his palm against his forehead, “that I ever should have been the dupe of such a cold-blooded hypocrite!

“I have said our intimacy excited surprise among our brother officers.  It did; for all understood and read the character of your father, who was as much disliked and distrusted for the speciousness of his false nature, as I was generally esteemed for the frankness and warmth of mine.  No one openly censured the evident preference I gave him in my friendship; but we were often sarcastically termed the Pylades and Orestes of the regiment, until my heart was ready to leap into my throat with impatience at the bitterness in which the taunt was conceived; and frequently in my presence was allusion made to the blind folly of him, who should take a cold and slimy serpent to his bosom only to feel its fangs darted into it at the moment when most fostered by its genial heat.  All, however, was in vain.  On a nature like mine, innuendo was likely to produce an effect directly opposite to that intended; and the more I found them inclined to be severe on him I called my friend, the more marked became my preference.  I even fancied that because I was rich, generous, and heir to a title, their observations were prompted by jealousy of the influence he possessed over me, and a desire to supplant him only for their interests’ sake.  Bitterly have I been punished for the illiberality of such an opinion.  Those to whom I principally allude were the subalterns of the regiment, most of whom were nearly of our own age.  One or two of the junior captains were also of this number; but, by the elders (as we termed the seniors of that rank) and field officers, Ensign de Haldimar was always regarded as a most prudent and promising young officer.