announcement, could be made without at
least four salutations; two of the appellant,
and two of the recipient. It was as if all the
courtesies (not to say all the sympathy and
kindness) of the Gentlemen Cadets and their
Governors, had crystallised themselves into
those forms.

"Giving step" to the Cadet company in
their imposing march to church or other
duty, was a greatness not without its peril.
Trueman, a very morbid, nervous character,
was put under arrest for seven days, while
in enjoyment of this post, because he could
not resist gratifying an insane desire that he
was always haunted with—of treading once
on every paving-stone; the effect of each
irregular step being to set a column of two
hundred "men" scraping and galling one
another's ancles.

Arrests restricted leave of absence; therein
lay their greatest punishment. Leave was
granted from Saturday in the afternoon, until
late on Sunday night—at first, on the
application of the Cadets themselves; next,
on the written invitations of friends; and
finally, upon the understanding that a
certificate should be brought back with them
of their having gone to the places to which
they had been invited. This last precaution
would have been effectual if the original
invitations had been always genuine; but, as
there was a decayed gentleman in the vicinity
who used to invite a great many of us in
divers disguises of hand-writing to sundry
family firesides in London, from which he was
supposed to date—charging per letter, as
coming from parent, uncle, or cousin, according
to the affectionate nature of the summons
—it was easy for that scribe to forge certificates
corresponding to the invitations; and
the Gentlemen Cadets went up to town on
the Saturday with post-dated proofs in their
pockets that they had been there eight-and-
twenty hours already.

Money was essential to those Gentlemen
Cadets who were ambitious to keep up their
high rank and honourable position while in
the metropolis on these occasions. The
Government did not consider cash "a
regimental necessary;" at all events they made no
provision for our wants in that particular.
Money was therefore often raised of
pawn-brokers. When a certain new captain was
appointed—strict, severe, and soldier-like—
his first acquaintance with our manners and
customs was made, awkwardly enough, by
his picking up a dirty piece of paper on the
parade ground, inscribed with "John Smith,
gold watch, four pounds ten shillings." The
bugle instantly sounded, the Cadet company
"fell in," "dressed," were attentive, and
physically stood at ease; but the majority were
mentally uneasy. "I regret," said the captain,
"to have to mention a circumstance inflicting
the greatest degradation upon the Cadet company,
one that I could not have credited, save
for the evidence of my own senses, but the fact
comes to me distinctly proved." (''He has
nabbed a 'baby!'" whispered one. "He
couldn't have seen me hang Butt up by the
legs,"pondered another. "I'm expelled!"
thought more than half-a-dozen.) "Gentlemen,
I have found a pawn ticket" (general
and intense sensation of relief throughout the
whole of the Cadet company); "the name is
Smith" (here a dozen hands were to be seen
secretly feeling for square pieces of card); "of
course an assumed name: but, if the offender
will come forward, he shall not be punished. I
desire to reason with him only. I will get his
watch out of pawn; nay, I will advance him
any reasonable sum of money that will keep
him from again falling into so humiliating a
position: only, I say, let that Cadet who owns
a pawn-ticket bearing the name of Smith come
forward." About fifteen young gentlemen,
headed by Macarthy, at once presented themselves;
so favourite was that particular surname
as an alias with the Cadets of the Royal
Military Academy at Woolhurst.

During my residence at the .Royal Military
Academy, leader after leader fulminated
from the office of the Thunderer against
the abuses of that institution, and more
and more sourly flowed the milk of human
kindness in our officers. To write a letter
to the Times or to the United Service
Gazette, was to break every article of war
in one offence. Again and again did the
company fall in, and again and again was
the Cadet—not gentleman—commanded to fall
out, who had been detected in perpetrating
this or that scandalous paragraph. Although
we were starved; though we were beaten;
though we existed in an atmosphere of blasphemy,
and might be as brutal and debauched
as we pleased, was all the world to hear of
it? Were we aware of what we became
when we put on the Gentleman Cadet
uniform? Still the letters continued to be
written; for I suppose some of us were not
properly sensitive upon this point. To the
authors of those letters, however, and to
the gentlemen who wrote the leaders, the
service (of which the Military Academy is a
principal branch) owes very much. I had good
reason to be grateful to them; because in my
own time there were attempts made at
improvement, tyranny for a while was checked,
and I had something to eat at dinner.

Many things are now changed for the better.
Cadets are admitted at an earlier age; but
this holds out greater temptations to the
seniors for bullying; yet there is at least a
nominal limit to neuxing. With that last abuse
I associate every disgrace that has occurred
at the Royal Military Academy. Although
Government has established a training school,
every candidate for Woolhurst is not bound
to pass through it; and, those who do, are no
match against cramming and the memoria
technica.

For my own part, I may add that I got
through my probation in the usual way,