At length after a fortnight's absence, he came over to the fort, and entering the marquee, where Marion was sitting with his officers, he began to bow and scrape. As if not perceiving him, Marion turned his head another way. The lieutenant then, exceedingly embarrassed, came out with his apology, -- "I am sorry, sir, to have outstayed my time so long; but -- but I could not help it -- but now I am returned to do my duty." Marion turned very quickly upon him, and with a most mortifying neglect, said, "Aye, lieutenant, is that you? Well, never mind it -- there is no harm done -- I never missed you." The poor lieutenant was so completely cut up, that he could not say a word, but sneaked off, hanging down his head, and looked much more like a detected swindler than a gentleman soldier. The officers, who were all prodigiously pleased with his confusion, presently went out and began to rally him -- "Ah, ha, lieutenant, and so the captain has given you a set down." "A set down," replied he, very angrily, "a set down, do you call it! I had rather a thousand times he had knocked me down -- an ugly, cross, knock-kneed, hook-nosed son of a b-t-h!" The officers almost split their sides with laughing. The story soon took wind; and the poor lieutenant did not hear the last of it for many a day. I have often heard him say, that nothing ever so completely confounded him, as did that dry, cutting speech of Marion. "I was never at a loss before," said he, "to manage all other officers that were ever set over me. As for our colonel, (meaning Moultrie) he is a fine, honest, good-natured old buck. But I can wind him round my finger like a pack thread. But as for the stern, keen-eyed Marion, I dread him." The truth is, Marion wished his officers to be gentlemen. And whenever he saw one of them acting below that character, he would generously attempt his reformation. And few men, perhaps, ever knew better how to manage truants from duty. To a coarse, conceited chap, like our lieutenant, Marion gave no quarter, but checked him at once, but still in a way that was quite gentlemanly, and calculated to overawe. He kept him at arms' length -- took no freedoms with him -- nor allowed any -- and when visited on business, he would receive and treat him with a formality sufficient to let him see that all was not right. The effect of such management evinced the correctness of Marion's judgment. The young lieutenant became remarkably polite, and also attentive to duty. In short, no subaltern behaved better. And this very happy change in his manners, was soon succeeded by as pleasing a change in the sentiments of all around him. The officers of the regiment grew fond of him -- Marion spoke of him with pleasure, as an excellent soldier -- and he of Marion, as his best friend. This is sufficient to show the truth of the remark made by Aristotle -- "that there is no art so difficult and godlike as that of managing men to their own happiness and glory."