‘Good God, Jervase! What are you doing here?’ ‘I’ve come to take the Queen’s shilling, Volnay,’ Polson answered. ‘Why, what’s become of the commission?’ the other asked. ‘Go outside, Sergeant. I want to have some talk in private with this gentleman.’ Now, chance had played a queer trick here, for it had led the intending recruit straight to his oldest and closest chum, his old schoolfellow, and old Oxford comrade. It had not occurred to him to think what regiment was quartered in Birmingham at that time, and he had walked straight towards his purpose without a thought of the possibility of such an encounter as this. ‘You ain’t serious, old fellow, are you?’ asked Captain Volnay. ‘Yes,’ said Polson, ‘I’m quite serious.’ ‘Sit down,’ said Volnay. ‘Of course you’ll tell me just as much and just as little as you want to. But before you take a step that you can’t retreat from, you’d better think things over.’ ‘No,’ said Polson, ‘I’ve done all the thinking I have need for, and I’ve made up my mind. You’ll take me, of course?’ ‘Look here,’ said Volnay, ‘you won’t like it, and I take the liberty to tell you so. It’s an infernally disagreeable life--it’s a beast of a life for a gentleman to live. It’s all very well, of course, if you’re amongst your own set; but a gentleman ranker is certain to have a hell of a time. He has all the non-coms on to him out of jealousy; and he’s bullied and browbeaten beyond endurance. As for the mere rough side of the living, nobody minds that. But if you do what you intend, you’ll find before the week’s over that you’ve stepped into a whole tubful of scalding hot water, and you’ll wish yourself well out of it again.’ ‘That’s all right, old chap,’ said Polson. ‘I shan’t be the first to try it, and I dare say I shall pull through as well as another.’ ‘Now, here’s a sample,’ said Volnay with a laugh to take the edge from his words. ‘Here’s a sample of the sort of thing you’re walking into. It’ll be a piece of rank impertinence on your part to call me “old chap” in half an hour’s time, and you mustn’t do it. When you catch sight of me, it’ll be your business to stand up as stiff as a ramrod and salute me; and you’ll have to say “sir” when you talk to me. And you won’t like that. And I shan’t like it. And look here, old chap, you think twice about it.’ ‘I’ve told you already,’ Polson answered, ‘I’ve done all my thinking.’ ‘Well,’ said Volnay, ‘wilful must if wilful will. You haven’t been getting into any sort of mischief, have you?’ ‘No,’ said Polson. ‘I’ve done nothing that I have a right to be ashamed of.’ ‘Had a row with the old man?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Go home and make it up again, Jervase. A private soldier’s life is a dog’s life for a man of your breeding, and you’ll find it so.’ ‘That’s as may be,’ Polson answered. ‘But I’ve quite made up my mind, and all the talking in the world will make no difference.’