'Whose reputation did you
save?'
'More's the pity, 'twasn't my own, but I tuk more trouble wid ut than
av ut was. 'Twas just my way, messin' wid fwhat was no business av
mine. Hear now!' He settled himself at ease on the top of the carriage.
'I'll tell you all about ut. Av coorse I will name no names, for there's
wan that's an orf'cer's lady now, that was in ut, and no more will I
name places, for a man is thracked by a place.'
'Eyah!' said Ortheris lazily, 'but this is a mixed story wot's comin'.'
'Wanst upon a time, as the childer-books say, I was a recruity.'
'Was you though?' said Ortheris; 'now that's extry-ordinary!'
'Orth'ris,' said Mulvaney, 'av you opin thim lips av yours again, I
will, savin' your presince, Sorr, take you by the slack av your trousers
an' heave you.'
'I'm mum,' said Ortheris. 'Wot 'appened when you was a recruity?'
'I was a betther recruity than you iver was or will be, but that's
neither here nor there. Thin I became a man, an' the divil of a man
I was fifteen years ago. They called me Buck Mulvaney in thim days,
an', begad, I tuk a woman's eye. I did that! Ortheris, ye scrub, fwhat
are ye sniggerin' at? Do you misdoubt me?'
'Devil a doubt!' said Ortheris; 'but I've 'eard summat like that
before!'
Mulvaney dismissed the impertinence with a lofty wave of his hand and
continued--
'An' the orf'cers av the rig'mint I was in in thim days _was_
orf'cers--gran' men, wid a manner on 'em, an' a way wid 'em such as
is not made these days--all but wan--wan o' the capt'ns.
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