"Let old Tronchon
have his grade; and I say, my good fellow," said he to me, "don't come
plaguing me any more about promotion till I'm General of Division. You
hear that?"

'Well, he's got his step since; but I never teased him after.'

'And why so, Tronchon?' said L

'I'll tell thee, lad,' whispered he, in a low, confidential tone, as if
imparting a secret well worth the hearing. 'They can find fellows every
day fit for lieutenants and _chefs d'escadron. Parbleu!_ they meet
with them in every cafe, in every "billiard" you enter; but a sergeant!
Maurice, one that drills his men on parade--can dress them like a
wall--see that every kit is well packed, and every cartouch well
filled--who knows every soul in his company as he knows the buckles of
his own sword-belt--that's what one should not chance upon in haste.
It's easy enough to manoeuvre the men, Maurice; but to make them,
boy, to fashion the fellows so that they be like the pieces of a great
machine, that's the real labour--that's soldiering indeed.'

'And you say I must write a petition, Tronchon?' said I, more anxious
to bring him back to my own affairs than listen to these speculations of
his. 'How shall I do it?'

'Sit down there, lad, and I'll tell thee. I've done the thing some
scores of times, and know the words as well as I once knew my "Pater."
_Parbleu!_ I often wish I could remember that now, just to keep me from
gloomy thoughts when I sit alone of an evening.'

It was not a little to his astonishment, but still more to his delight,
that I told the poor fellow I could help to refresh his memory, knowing,
as I did, every word of the litanies by heart; and, accordingly, it was
agreed on that I should impart religious instruction in exchange for the
secular knowledge he was conferring upon me.

'As for the petition,' said Tronchon, seating himself opposite to me at
the table, 'it is soon done; for mark me, lad, these things must always
be short; if thou be long-winded, they put thee away, and tell some
of the clerks to look after thee--and there's an end of it. Be brief,
therefore, and next--be legible--write in a good, large, round hand;
just as, if thou wert speaking, thou wouldst talk with a fine, clear,
distinct voice. Well, then, begin thus:--"Republic of France, one and
indivisible!" Make a flourish round that, lad, as if it came freely from
the pen. When a man writes--"France!" he should do it as he whirls his
sabre round his head in a charge!