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608 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
a black coat instead of a red. War had evidently been his vocation,
as he had shown by the frequent battles in which he had been
engaged at school. For what was the other great warrior of the
age famous ? for that Roman feature in his face, which distinguished,
which gave a name to, our Brackley—a name by which we fondly
clung (cries of " Nosey, Nosey ! "). Might that feature ornament
ere long the face of—of one of the chiefs of that army of which
he was a distinguished field-officer ! Might ________ Here I confess I
fairly broke down, lost the thread of my joke—at which Brackley
seemed to look rather severe—and finished the speech with a gobble
about regard, esteem, everybody respect you, and good health, old
boy—which answered quite as well as a finished oration, however
the author might be discontented with it.
The Archdeacon's little sermon was very brief, as the discourses
of sensible divines sometimes will be. He was glad to meet old
friends—to make friends with old foes (loud cries of " Bravo,
Nosey !"). In the battle of life, every man must meet with a blow
or two ; and every brave one would take his facer with good-humour.
Had he quarrelled with any old schoolfellow in old times? He
wore peace not only on his coat, but in his heart. Peace and
goodwill were the words of the day in the army to which he belonged
; and he hoped that all officers in it were animated by one
esprit de corps.
A silence ensued, during which men looked towards Mr. Ringwood,
as the "old foe" towards whom the Archdeacon had held
out the hand of amity : but Ringwood, who had listened to the
Archdeacon's speech with an expression of great disgust, did not
rise from his chair—only remarking to his neighbour Egham, " Why
should I get up ? Hang him, I have nothing to say. I say, Egham,
why did you induce me to come into this kind of thing ?"
Fearing that a collision might take place between Philip and
his kinsman, I had drawn Philip away from the place in the room
to which Lord Egham beckoned him, saying, " Never mind, Philip,
about sitting by the lord," by whose side I knew perfectly well
that Mr. Ringwood would find a place. But it was our lot to be
separated from his Lordship by merely the table's breadth, and
some intervening vases of flowers and fruits through which we could
see and hear our opposite neighbours. When Ringwood spoke of
" this kind of thing," Philip glared across the table, and started as
if he was going to speak ; but his neighbour pinched him on the
knee, and whispered to him, "Silence—no scandal. Remember."
The other fell back, swallowed a glass of wine, and made me far
from comfortable by performing a tattoo on my chair.
The speeches went on. If they were not more eloquent they