"Yes, sir," he said. "I know it. And that has been true of me a few times, Mr. Erskine. Never but once in any great thing."
"There are no little things in right and wrong, boy."
"No, sir. I should have said, in what people call great."
Mr. Erskine was silent with sudden pain; he had not looked for such an answer. Then Magnus turned round, and sat facing him, looking full up.
"I have told Cherry the whole thing, straight through," he said; "and now I will tell you, sir, if you wish."
Mr. Erskine drew a breath of relief. If he had told Cherry, it could be nothing very bad; and that he _had_ told her half cleared it away.
"No, do not tell me," he said. "If Cherry knows, that is enough. But, Magnus, I never expected _you_ to lack the soldier heart!"
The boy's eyes flushed, and his lips were unsteady as he said:
"Nor I, sir. You cannot possibly be half so disappointed in me as I was in myself."
There was a long pause. What that bit of schooling was to Magnus it would be hard to describe; but he said not a word to shorten it. With head well up, and eyes looking gravely off at the fair landscape, of which they saw not a thing, so he sat; and Mr. Erskine watched him. His whole heart went out to the boy in tenderness and up for him in prayer. Not a hero in his own right, perhaps, but a better, stronger thing is the man whom God keeps, and who trusts the Lord for all power to keep himself.
"The people that know their God, shall be strong and do exploits."
"You told Cherry," the elder man began at length. "And what did Cherry say?"
"Broke my heart into little pieces," said Magnus briefly.
It was Mr. Erskine's turn to have wet eyes, though he smiled too.
"So!" he said. "My boy, did you ever realise that you might break _her_ heart?"
"Don't ask me to realise it any more than I do, sir," Magnus answered, with a troubled voice. "You see she minds things that some people call trifles."
"Like a true woman," said Mr. Erskine. "I am glad she does."
"So am I!" said Magnus, with hearty emphasis. "There is not a thing about her that I am not glad of. But I have told her everything, Mr. Erskine," he added, "and she forgives me."
"Like a woman again," thought the father. "And she is ready to go with you to San Carlos?"