alter, real nobility of conduct, real moral
courage in such a man as Frederick, the courage of acting out his
convictions, when in so doing he was going contrary to those cherished
habits and principles which were part of his very self, and made him in
a degree what he was in the eyes of the world. This was indeed moral
courage, and not weak changeableness or fickleness, because it had a
noble object. To have adhered to his ordinary course in the colonel's
case, when he had become convinced that he had been wronging that
officer, would have been obstinacy and littleness."

"Ay, auntie," said Walter thoughtfully, "I am sure your view is the
right one. So good-bye, laurels, for this time;" saying which, he threw
the boughs among the trees of the shrubbery. As he did so, he felt the
loving arms of Miss Huntingdon drawing him closely to her, and then a
warm kiss on his fair brow.

CHAPTER TEN.

PLUCK.

"Aunt," said Walter, as he sat at her feet, where he had placed himself
after resigning his laurels, "I am afraid you are a little hard to
please--or, at any rate, that I haven't much chance of getting you to
see any moral courage in my unworthy self."

"Why not, dear boy?" she asked; "why should not you exhibit moral
courage as well as any one else?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly; but it's so hard to know precisely what moral
courage is after all, there are so many things that it is not. Now,
what do you say to `pluck,' auntie; is `pluck' the same as moral
courage?"

"That depends upon what you mean by `pluck,' Walter."

"Oh! you must admire pluck. Every true-born Englishman and Englishwoman
admires pluck."

"That may be, my clear nephew. I believe I do admire pluck, as far as I
understand what it is. But you must give me your idea of it, that I may
be able to answer your question about its being the same as moral
courage."

"Well, dear aunt, it is a thoroughly English, or perhaps I ought to say
British, thing, you know. It isn't mere brute courage. It will keep a
man who has it going steadily on with what he has undertaken. There is
a great deal of self-denial, and perseverance, and steady effort about
it. Persons of high refinement, and of very little physical strength,
often show great pluck. It is by no means mere dash. There are plucky
women too--plucky ladies also as well as plucky men. Indeed I think
that, as a rule, there is more true pluck among the weak than the
strong, among the refin