“He’s in for it,” whispered my next neighbour, softly. “I’ll back him for a regular rigmarole of lies against any man in the Peninsula. But we must humour him.----“Well, Peter, and was his lordship commonly civil?” “A pleasanter-spoken man I never was in company with,” was the reply. “And he did seem pleased with our morning-state?--The aide-decamp told you that?” “Not at all; it was his lordship. ‘Crotty,’ says he--” “Oh!” whispered my friend the major, “that’s conclusive.--All’s right when Peter uses the present personal.” “Ay! ‘Crotty,’ says he,”--observed another, “But you have had a long ride; so before you begin a longer story, take the cobwebs from your throat.” Again the tin cup was replenished--once more Peter Crotty refreshed himself; and then to a very attentive auditory he commenced the detail of a recent interview with the “great captain.” “Well, you see, I only got the returns from the orderly room at twelve; and as I had ten miles to ride, off the mule and myself jogged immediately. Nothing particular occurred on the road, barrin’ I met Soames and Hamilton, and-- “Oh, d--n Soames and Hamilton!” exclaimed two or three voices together. “Well, we had a drop of wine, and on I pushed without delay,--except half an hour with the Eighty-eighth; and we had a sort of a lunch of an over-driven bullock, the rump-steak,--by-the-by, it was cut off the fore-part of the shoulder, and as hard as the divil’s horn.--We had a throw of rum-and-water afterwards--” “For _one_, read _three_,” observed another of the audience. “Well, I reached Frenada--rode up to the door--gave my mule to an orderly--stept into the ante-room, and handed in the returns--” “And, as the evening was wet, I suppose they allowed you to sit down,” said Captain Philbin. Lieutenant Crotty turned a wrathful look upon the speaker, and then continued his narrative. “The door was open, and every word that passed within I heard plainly.” “‘Arrah! what’s that?’ said his lordship. “‘The morning-strength of the Twentieth, my lord,’ replied the aide-de-camp. “‘Divil welcome the bearer!’ says the general. ‘Isn’t it cruel hard, that a man can’t have a little pace and quiet, without this eternal botheration? Tell the fellow to come to the door; and ask him who he is.’ “Be gogstay! I made bold to answer, ‘It’s me, Lieutenant Crotty--plase your lordship.’” “‘Crotty!--Crotty!’ says he; ‘Is it Peter Crotty, of the Twentieth?’” [Illustration: 0309] “‘The same, my lord,’ says I. “‘Arrah, then,’ replies the general, ‘I wouldn’t for a thirty-shillin note ye had gone home, without my seeing ye. Peter, step in and be off’, and shut the doer after ye,’ says he to the aide-de-camp; ‘I’m not at home, if any one inquires this evening. And now, Grotty dear, draw a camp-stool, and bring your heels to an anchor.--Ned, says he, for they called one another by their names; ‘hand Mr. Crotty a glass. And now, Peter, raise y’er elbow a trifle, and fill fair. Is there any news astir:’