You almost wished you might die on your way
round here from London. What will be your feelings when you have to
face the waves of the Atlantic?"
"Don't talk about it, Conway. The very thought makes me feel queer.
However, I expect I shall get on better now than I did last time. What
an ass I was, to be sure, on that voyage!"
"Well, I do think your four months with the regiment have done you a
world of good, Stapleton. You certainly were a stuck-up sort of
personage when you came on board in the Thames. I think it is an awful
mistake for a fellow to be educated at home, instead of being sent to
school; they are sure to have to suffer for it afterward."
"Well, I have suffered for it to some extent," Stapleton said. "The
lessons I got at first were sharp ones; but they certainly did me
good."
"There is no doubt about that," Ralph agreed; "and I think there is a
good deal of credit due to you, Stapleton, for having taken things in
the right way. I wonder where we shall be stationed in America, and
whether we shall have any fighting? Upon the whole we have no very
great reason to be proud of our feats of arms in America; but I hope
we shall do better next time. You see, in the last struggle we knew
nothing of their tactics, and were at a great disadvantage; but after
fighting its way through the Peninsular, I don't think there is any
fear of the regiment not giving a good account of itself, if it is
called upon to do so, out there.
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