’It would improve his physical strength, at the same time add to his sense of personal dignity.’

‘Would you teach females as well—­to divert them from their frivolities?’

’That would have to be thought over, sir.  It would be better for them than using their nails.’

‘I don’t know, Skepsey:  I’m rather a Conservative there.’

’Yes; with regard to the female, sir:  I confess, my scheme does not include them.  They dance; that is a healthy exercise.  One has only to say, that it does not add to the national force, in case of emergency.  I look to that.  And I am particular in proposing an exercise independent of—­I have to say—­sex.  Not that there is harm in sex.  But we are for training.  I hope my meaning is clear?’

’Quite.  You would have boxing with the gloves to be a kind of monastic recreation.’

‘Recreation is the word, sir; I have often admired it,’ said Skepsey, blinking, unsure of the signification of monastic.

‘I was a bit of a boxer once,’ Mr. Fenellan said, conscious of height and breadth in measuring the wisp of a figure before him.

‘Something might be done with you still, sir.’

Skepsey paid him the encomium after a respectful summary of his gifts in a glimpse.  Mr. Fenellan bowed to him.

Mr. Radnor raised head from the notes he was pencilling upon letters perused.

’Skepsey’s craze:  regeneration of the English race by boxing—­nucleus of a national army?’

’To face an enemy at close quarters—­it teaches that, sir.  I have always been of opinion, that courage may be taught.  I do not say heroism.  And setting aside for a moment thoughts of an army, we create more valuable citizens.  Protection to the weak in streets and by-places—­shocking examples of ruffians maltreating women, in view of a crowd.’

‘One strong man is an overmatch for your mob,’ said Mr. Fenellan.

Skepsey toned his assent to the diminishing thinness where a suspicion of the negative begins to wind upon a distant horn.

’Knowing his own intentions; and before an ignorant mob:—­strong, you say, sir?  I venture my word that a, decent lad, with science, would beat him.  It is a question of the study and practice of first principles.’

‘If you were to see a rascal giant mishandling a woman?’ Skepsey conjured the scene by bending his head and peering abstractedly, as if over spectacles.

‘I would beg him to abstain, for his own sake.’

Mr. Fenellan knew that the little fellow was not boasting.

’My brother Dartrey had a lesson or two from you in the first principles, I think?’

’Captain Dartrey is an athlete, sir:  exceedingly quick and clever; a hard boxer to beat.’

’You will not call him captain when you see him; he has dismissed the army.’

’I much regret it, sir, much, that we have lost him.  Captain Dartrey Fenellan was a beautiful fencer.  He gave me some instruction; unhappily, I have to acknowledge, too late.  It is a beautiful art.  Captain Dartrey says, the French excel at it.  But it asks for a weapon, which nature has not given:  whereas the fists . . .’