“Of course you know, every officer when introduced or travelling is a captain--CAPTAIN--a good travelling name!--_Vide_ the play-books, _passim_. My young friend, however, is at the present--you remember _as in pasenti_, Edward--only an ensign, but, please God, old as some of us are, Mrs. M. to wit--ahem! we will live to shake hands with him as captain yet.” “You mean, of course, my dear,” said his wife, “that I will live to do so; the youngest, as the proverb has it, lives longest. No man, Mr. Roberts, will more regret the improbability of verifying his own wishes than Mr. Mainwaring.” “Ah, Martha! you're always too hard for me,” he replied, laughing. “But you must know that this young officer, of whom I feel so proud, is an old pupil of mine, and received his education at my feet. I consequently feel a more than usual interest in him. But come, we lose-time. It is now past two o'clock, and, if I don't mistake, there's a bit of cold ham and chicken to be had, and my walk has prepared me for lunch, as it usually does, and besides, Martha, there's an old friend of mine, his father, waiting for our return, to whom I must introduce you both, ladies, as a sample of the fine old soldier, who is a capital version of human nature.” On reaching the cottage they found our worthy friend, old Sam Roberts, in the garden, throwing crumbs of bread to a busy little flock of sparrows, behind one of the back windows that opened into it. His honest but manly face was lit up with all the eager and boisterous enjoyment of a child whilst observing with simple delight the fierce and angry quarrels of the parents, as they fought on behalf of their young, for the good things so providentially cast in their way. “Come, now,” said Sam, “I'm commissary-general for this day, and, for a miracle, an honest one--fight fair, you wretches--but I don't wonder at the spunk you show, for the rations, I can tell you, are better, poor things, than you are accustomed to. Hello, there! you, sir--you big fellow--you hulk of a cock--what business have you here? This is a quarrel among the ladies, sirrah, who are mothers, and it is for their young ones--on behalf of their children--they are showing fight; and you, sir, you overgrown glutton, are stuffing yourself, like many another 'foul bird' before you, with the public property. Shame, you little vulture! Don't you see they fly away when they have gotten' an allowance, and give it to their starving children? D---- your principle, sir, it's a bad one. You think the strongest ought to take most, do you? Bravo! Well done, my little woman. Go on, you have right and nature on your side--that's it, peck the glutton--he's a rascal--a public officer--a commissary-general that--lay on him--well done--never mind military discipline--he's none of your officer--he's a robber--a bandit--and neither a soldier nor a gentleman--by fife and drum, that's well done. But it's all nature--all the heart of man.”