ithin
the belt of verdure was floored with a thick flossy carpet of moss
and grass intermingled, so yielding that the foot was half-buried
within it.

"Now," said Troy, producing the sword, which, as he raised it into
the sunlight, gleamed a sort of greeting, like a living thing,
"first, we have four right and four left cuts; four right and four
left thrusts. Infantry cuts and guards are more interesting than
ours, to my mind; but they are not so swashing. They have seven
cuts and three thrusts. So much as a preliminary. Well, next, our
cut one is as if you were sowing your corn--so." Bathsheba saw a
sort of rainbow, upside down in the air, and Troy's arm was still
again. "Cut two, as if you were hedging--so. Three, as if you were
reaping--so. Four, as if you were threshing--in that way. Then the
same on the left. The thrusts are these: one, two, three, four,
right; one, two, three, four, left." He repeated them. "Have 'em
again?" he said. "One, two--"

She hurriedly interrupted: "I'd rather not; though I don't mind your
twos and fours; but your ones and threes are terrible!"

"Very well. I'll let you off the ones and threes. Next, cuts,
points and guards altogether." Troy duly exhibited them. "Then
there's pursuing practice, in this way." He gave the movements as
before. "There, those are the stereotyped forms. The infantry have
two most diabolical upward cuts, which we are too humane to use.
Like this--three, four."

"How murderous and bloodthirsty!"

"They are rather deathly. Now I'll be more interesting, and let you
see some loose play--giving all the cuts and points, infantry and
cavalry, quicker than lightning, and as promiscuously--with just
enough rule to regulate instinct and yet not to fetter it. You are
my antagonist, with this difference from real warfare, that I shall
miss you every time by one hair's breadth, or perhaps two. Mind you
don't flinch, whatever you do."

"I'll be sure not to!" she said invincibly.

He pointed to about a yard in front of him.

Bathsheba's adventurous spirit was beginning to find some grains of
relish in these highly novel proceedings. She took up her position
as directed, facing Troy.

"Now just to learn whether you have pluck enough to let me do what I
wish, I'll give you a preliminary test."

He flourished the sword by way of introduction number two, and the
next thing of which she was conscious was that the point and blade of
the sword