And the laugh was so full of merriment that
it infected me. I saw he was very much amused; I thought he
was a little interested too. "You know," he went on, "my
education has been unfavourable. I have fought for a smaller
matter than that you judge insufficient."
"Did it do any good?" I asked.
He laughed again; picked up a stone and threw it into the
midst of a thick tree to dislodge something — I did not see
what; and finally looked round at me with the most genial
amusement and good nature mixed. I knew he was interested now.
"I don't know how much good it did to anybody but myself," he
said. "It comforted me — at the time. Afterwards, I remember
thinking it was hardly worth while. But if a fellow should
suffer an insult, as you say, and not take any notice of it,
what do you suppose would become of him in the corps — or in
the world either?"
"He would be a noble man, all the same," I said.
"But people like to be well thought of by their friends and
society."
"I know that."
"He would be sent to Coventry unmitigatedly.
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