下载辰思小说免费APP
houseinHampstead，workingforthemostpart，sincehewasabsolutelydeterminedtojustifyhimselfandgetonintheprofessionwhichhehadchosen。InthesummerheandArthurwentwalkingtours，andonce，withsomeotheryoungmen，visitedtheContinenttostudyvariousbattlefields，andimprovetheirminds。AtleastGodfreystudiedthebattlefields，whileArthurgavemostofhisattentiontotheyoungerpartofthefemalepopulationofFranceandItaly。AtEasteragaintheywenttoScotland，whereArthurhadsomepropertysettledonhim——
forhewasayoungmanwellsuppliedwiththisworld’sgoods——andfishedforsalmonandtrout。Altogether，forGodfrey，itwasaprofitableandhappytwoyears。AtSandhurstandelsewhereeveryonethoughtwellofhim，whileoldGeneralCubittebecamehisdevotedfriendandcouldnotsayenoughinhispraise。
“Damnit!Sir，“heexclaimedonce，“doyoumeantotellmethatyouneveroverdrawyourallowance？Itisnotnatural；almostwrongindeed。
Iwonderwhatyoursecretvicesare？Well，solongasyoukeepthemsecret，yououghttobeabigmanonedayandendupinaverydifferentpositiontoGeorgeCubitte——calledaGeneral——whoneversawashotfiredinhislife。There’llbelotsofthemflyingaboutbeforeyou’reold，myboy，anddoubtlessyou’llgetyourshareofgunpowder——
ornitro-glycerine——ifyougoonasyouhavebegun。IfIweren’tafraidofmakingyoucocky，I’dtellyouwhattheysayaboutyoudownatthatSandhurstshop，whereIhaveanoldpalortwo。
Shortlyafterthiscamethefinalexamination，throughwhich，ashasbeensaid，Godfreysailedouttop，aneasyfirstindeed——apositiontowhichhisthoroughknowledgeofFrenchandgeneralaptitudeforforeignlanguages，togetherwithhispowersofworkandapplication，reallyentitledhim。Allhisfriendsweredelighted，especiallyArthur，wholookedonhimasakindof/lususnatur？/，andfromhishumblepositionatthebottomofthetree，gazedadmiringlyatGodfreypercheduponitstopmostbough。TheoldPasteur，too，withwhomGodfreykeptupanalmostweeklycorrespondence，continuinghisastronomicalstudiesbyletter，wasenrapturedandcoveredhimwithcompliments，asdidhisinstructorsattheCollege。
Allofthiswouldhavebeenenoughtoturntheheadsofmanyyoungmen，butasithappenedGodfreywasbynaturemodest，withenoughintelligencetoappreciatetheabysmaldepthsofhisownignorancebythelightofthelittlelampofknowledgewithwhichhehadfurnishedhimselfonhisjourneyintotheirblackness。Thisintensemodestyalwaysremainedaleadingcharacteristicofhis，whichendearedhimtomany，althoughitwasnotonethathelpedhimforwardinlife。Itisthebold，self-confidentman，whoknowshowtomakethemostofhissmallgifts，whotravelsfastestandfarthestinthisworldofours。
When，however，actuallyhereceivedquiteanaffectionateandpleasedletterfromhisfather，hedid，forawhile，feelalittleproud。Theletterenclosedacuttingfromthelocalpaperrecordinghissuccess，anddiggingupforthebenefitofitsreadersanaccountofhisadventureontheAlps。Also，itmentionedprominentlythathewasthesonoftheRev。Mr。Knight，theincumbentofMonk’sAbbey，andhadreceivedhiseducationinthatgentleman’sestablishment；soprominently，indeed，thateventheunsuspiciousGodfreycouldnothelpwonderingifhisfatherhadeverseenthatparagraphbeforeitappearedinprint。Theletterendedwiththispassage：
“Wehavenotmetforalongwhile，owingtocausestowhichIwillnotallude，andIsupposethatshortlyyouwillbegoingtoIndia。
IfyoucaretocomehereIshouldliketoseeyoubeforeyouleaveEngland。Thisisnatural，asafterallyouaremyonlychildandI
amgrowingold。Onceyouhavedepartedtothatfarcountrywhoknowswhetherweshallevermeetagai
