Page:Letters of Life.djvu/137

Rh aggrieved in some form by his imperial sway, and had in consequence forsaken his native clime. He was tall, gaunt, well stricken in years, and impassable beyond aught we had seen of his mercurial race. His style of instruction betrayed his military genius. He would have been an excellent drill-sergeant. Perfect order was established. We were under a kind of martial law. During the hours of practice not a whisper was heard in our camp. The girls received elementary instruction afternoons, and, when a particular grade of improvement was attained, met and mingled with the other sex for two hours in the evening. Being his own musician, and executing with correctness on the violin, he required a strict adaptation of movement to measure. At his cry of "Balancez!" we all hopped up in a line like so many roasted chestnuts. Low obeisances, lofty promenades to solemn marches, and the elaborate politeness of the days of Louis Quatorze, were inculcated. Many graceful forms of cotillon he taught us, and some strange figures called hornpipes, in which he put forth a few of his show-pupils on exhibition days. They comprised sundry absurd chamois-leaps and muscle-wringing steps, throwing the body into contortions. Being stiff in his joints from age, he could not exemplify these more complex gyrations, but gave out words of command, as if at the head of a regiment. As imperative was he as Frederick the Great, and we as much of automatons as his soldiers. Monsieur le