A bad dhrill,
a wake voice, an' a limp leg--thim three things are the signs av a bad
man. You bear that in your mind, Orth'ris, me son.
'An' the Colonel av the rig'mint had a daughter--wan av thim lamblike,
bleatin', pick-me-up-an'-carry-me-or-I'll-die gurls such as was made
for the natural prey av men like the Capt'n, who was iverlastin' payin'
coort to her, though the Colonel he said time an' over, "Kape out av
the brute's way, my dear." But he niver had the heart for to send her
away from the throuble, bein' as he was a widower, an' she their wan
child.'
'Stop a minute, Mulvaney,' said I; 'how in the world did you come to
know these things?'
'How did I come?' said Mulvaney, with a scornful grunt; 'bekase I'm
turned durin' the Quane's pleasure to a lump av wood, lookin' out
straight forninst me, wid a--a--candelabbrum in my hand, for you to
pick your cards out av, must I not see nor feel? Av coorse I du! Up
my back, an' in my boots, an' in the short hair av the neck--that's
where I kape my eyes whin I'm on duty an' the reg'lar wans are fixed.
Know! Take my word for it, Sorr, ivrything an' a great dale more is
known in a rig'mint; or fwhat wud be the use av a Mess Sargint, or a
Sargint's wife doin' wet-nurse to the Major's baby? To reshume.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25