covering himself a little. "He
wasn't there, was he?"

"Pah!" ejaculated Marcus. "More shuffling. Now then, confess: you took
the armour and disobeyed the orders given you. What is more, you
forsook me and left me to myself. Speak out; you did, didn't you?"

"Well, I s'pose it's o' no use to deny it, Master Marcus. I s'pose I
did."

"And in direct opposition to my father's orders you were going to follow
him to the war?"

"That's right, Master Marcus, but how could I help it? Could I let him,
as I'd followed into many a fight, go off to meet those savage Gauls
without me at his back to stand by him as I've done many and many a time
before?"

"You disobeyed him, sir," cried Marcus.

"Well, boy, I own up," growled the man; "but I meant to do it for the
best. How could I stop at home nussing you like a baby and thinking all
the while that my old master was going about with swords and spears
offering at his throat? How could I do it, Master Marcus? Don't be so
hard on a man. It wasn't to be done."

"And yet you were as hard as iron to me, sir," cried Marcus.

"Well, didn't your father order me to be in the way of taking care of
you? It was my duty."

"Was it?" cried Marcus. "Then now I'm going to do my duty to you, sir."

"What are you going to do, Master Marcus?" said Serge, quite humbled
now.

"Make you go back to the old home and take care of it."

"Master never gave you orders to do that," cried the old soldier,
triumphantly; "and now I'm started to follow him and fight for him,
nobody shan't make me go; so there!"

Marcus and Serge remained gazing in one another's eyes, till at last the
latter spoke.

"Look here, Master Marcus, I meant it for the best. Aren't you being a
bit hard on me?"

"Look here, Serge," replied Marcus, "I meant it for the best. Weren't
you a bit hard upon me?"

"I think not, Master Marcus, boy."

"And that's what I think, Serge."

"I couldn't see my dear old master go away alone into danger."

"And I couldn't see my dear old father go away alone into danger."

"Of course you couldn't, Master Marcus. I say, my lad, you know what I
used to tell you about enemies doing when they come to a check like--
what they settled was best."

"What, made a truce?" said Marcus.

"Yes, my lad. I should like one now, for that bruise you've made with
your knuckles in my throat's quite big enough. It'll be black
to-morrow."

"Get up, Serge," said Marcus, letting his h