Page 123 - A Jacobite Exile

"My father is in Sweden, and my company is commanded by a man who is
as good as a father to me, and his son is like my brother. If there were no

other reason, I could not change. Why, it was only yesterday I was sitting
round a bivouac fire with King Charles, and nothing would induce me to

fight against him."

"I am not going to try to persuade you. The czar has treated me well, and I

love him. By the way, I have not given you my name after all. It's Terence
Kelly."

"Is not the czar very fierce and cruel?"

"Bedad, I would be much more cruel and fierce if I were in his place. Just
think of one man, with all Russia on his shoulders. There is he trying to

improve the country, working like a horse himself, knowing that, like every
other Russian, he is as ignorant as a pig, and setting to improve
himself--working in the dockyards of Holland and England, attending

lectures, and all kinds of subjects. Why, man, he learnt anatomy, and can
take off a leg as quickly as I can. He is building a fleet and getting together

an army. It is not much good yet, you will say, but it will be some day. You
can turn a peasant into a soldier in six months, but it takes a long time to
turn out generals and officers who are fit for their work.

"Then, while he is trying everywhere to improve his country, every man

jack of them objects to being improved, and wants to go along in his old
ways. Didn't they get up an insurrection, only because he wanted them to
cut off their beards? Any other man would have lost heart, and given it up

years ago. It looks as hopeless a task as for a mouse to drag a mountain, but
he is doing it.

"I don't say that he is perfect. He gets into passions, and it is mighty hard
for anyone he gets into a passion with. But who would not get into

passions, when there is so much work to be done, and everyone tries to
hinder instead of to help? It would break the heart of Saint Patrick! Why,

that affair at Narva would have broken down most men. Here, for years, has
he been working to make an army, and the first time they meet an enemy