'That was when 'e wanted for to wash 'isself in the Fort Ditch,' Ortheris explained. 'Said there was too much beer in the Barrack water-butts for a God-fearing man. You was lucky in gettin' orf with wot you did, Mulvaney.' 'Say you so? Now I'm pershuaded I was cruel hard trated, seein' fwhat I've done for the likes av him in the days whin my eyes were wider opin than they are now. Man alive, for the Colonel to whip _me_ on the peg in that way! Me that have saved the repitation av a ten times better man than him! 'Twas ne-farious--an' that manes a power av evil!' 'Never mind the nefariousness,' I said. '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. 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?'