Perhaps it isn't too late
to change, eh?"
Charlie laughed.
"My father is in Sweden, and my company is commanded by a man who
is as good as a father to me, and his son is like my brother. If
there were no other reason, I could not change. Why, it was only
yesterday I was sitting round a bivouac fire with King Charles, and
nothing would induce me to fight against him."
"I am not going to try to persuade you. The czar has treated me
well, and I love him. By the way, I have not given you my name
after all. It's Terence Kelly."
"Is not the czar very fierce and cruel?"
"Bedad, I would be much more cruel and fierce if I were in his
place. Just think of one man, with all Russia on his shoulders.
There is he trying to improve the country, working like a horse
himself, knowing that, like every other Russian, he is as ignorant
as a pig, and setting to improve himself--working in the dockyards
of Holland and England, attending lectures, and all kinds of
subjects. Why, man, he learnt anatomy, and can take off a leg as
quickly as I can. He is building a fleet and getting together an
army. It is not much good yet, you will say, but it will be some
day. You can turn a peasant into a soldier in six months, but it
takes a long time to turn out generals and officers who are fit for
their work.
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