Page:Imre.pdf/72

70 «That gentleman used to be a captain in our regiment. He was asked to leave the service. So he left it—about three years ago.»

«Why?»

«On account of...» here Imre's voice took on a most disagreeable sneer.. "of a little love-affair."

«Really? Since when was a little love-affair a topic for the action of a regimental Ehrenrath?»

«It happened to be his little love-affair with a.... cadet. You understand?»

«Ah, yes, now I understand. A great scandal, I presume?»

«Scarcely any at all. In fact, nobody, to this day, knows how far the... intimacy really went. But gradually some sort of a story got about... as to the discovery of "relations"... perhaps really amounting to only a trifling incident... But, the man's character was smirched. The regiment's Council didn't go into details ... didn't even ask for the facts. He simply was requested privately to give up his charge. You know, or perhaps you do not know, how spec-