- lowing the meeting at my house he put himself in my
way as I was returning from my military duties.
We were both on horseback, and I was passing him with a salute, when he reined up his horse and stopped me.
"You have not come to me, Count," he said curtly.
"And do not propose to come, General," I answered in a similar tone.
"I was not wrong in my estimate of you, I find."
"I do not recall it for the moment," said I indifferently.
He looked at me and smiled grimly.
"Good. A little open antagonism to me is your shrewdest course. I understand you. You are what I thought—a very clever young man. And you can assure everyone that you are not pledged to me—openly. I understand you, I say."
"As a well-known judge of men your opinion is flattering, General," I answered ambiguously.
His smile broadened.
"Very non-committal, as usual. And yet" And here his smile vanished, and his eyes took an expression of deep penetration. "Be careful that your cleverness and ambition don't carry you too far. If that time should come and I have to act, remember that I warned you. I know what you are doing, and am watching you carefully." Then in a lighter tone he added: "I am glad to hear such good accounts of your military work, and glad, too, that I have not to compel you to leave a country that has such sore need of the valuable services which a man like you can render it."
And with a salute he passed on, leaving me to digest the irony and hidden meaning of his last words. I rode on thoughtfully to my house. The impression
