"How old are you?" the Duke inquired, as the youths saluted.
"Nearly twenty, may it please your Grace." "Just turned nineteen, by
your Grace's leave." Such were the replies.
"Hum!" said the Duke thoughtfully, "you shall have your promotion in
due course. You are young, and can afford to wait for it." This to
Matthew. "As for you"--turning to George--"you have fairly earned your
lieutenancy." And he turned away.
CHAPTER IX
ANNUS MIRABILIS
"Don't imagine, my dear lad, that they are going to make captains of
mere boys like ourselves." This was the reply, given with a hearty
laugh, when George Fairburn, after receiving his friend's warm
congratulations at the close of the inspection, was condoling with
Matthew on his failure to get his step. "A captain at twenty is
somewhat unlikely," Blackett went on. "I suppose so," replied George.
"After all we are only glorified schoolboys, some of our fellows tell
us. Yet you look three-and-twenty, if a day. However, all will come in
time, let us hope."
The brilliant operations on the defence line proved to be but the
prelude to Marlborough's second great life disappointment. He saw his
chance. He had but to follow up his success by a decisive victory over
Villeroy's forces, and the way lay open to Paris.
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