"It's fi' pounds, sir; and you may want it." "Burn it!" cried Dick, sternly. "Well, it's your own, and you've a right to do as you like with it," said Jerry; and the thin scrap of paper was held to the flame, burned till the man's fingers were in danger, and then fell slowly to the floor as so much tinder. "That was your news, then?" "Not all of it." "What is it, then?" Jerry picked up the bunch of flowers, sniffed at it, and set it down again in the water. "She's a-coming." "What?" "That Miss Deane as sent these is coming in with Mr Lacey this afternoon." Dick rose up in his chair, staring excitedly. "She wanted to come ever so long ago, Mr Lacey said, and now he is going to bring her. Hadn't you better let me give you a shampoo, sir?" "Miss Deane coming here with the lieutenant--to this wretched place?" "Well, she ain't coming to see the place; she's a-coming to see you." "No, no, Jerry! Go and tell Mr Lacey she mustn't come." "Likely! Now just look here. You want to keep all about yourself quiet, and sits upon me when I says go to the colonel and out with it all, like a man--now don't you?" "Yes, yes. I'll wait my time," said Dick; and he added, softly, "If I live." "And then, as soon as things are a bit different to what you like, back you goes to the old style, and begins giving your orders. Now just fancy me going to the guvnor's quarters and saying to him, `Hi! you, sir, you're not to bring Miss Deane to the horspittle to-day.' "`Who says so?' says he. "`Dick Smithson, Esquire.' "And then he says, `You go and tell Dick Smithson he's a common soldier, and if he ever dares to send me such a message as that again, I'll report him to the colonel for insubordination'--that's the word, sir, `insubordination.' I've picked up a deal since I've been in the army; and, as we used to learn at school--and precious little it was!--`positive insolence; comparytive, insubordination: s'perlative mutiny.'" "Yes, Jerry, you're right; I forget myself sometimes," sighed Dick. "Sometimes! Why, you've forgot yourself altogether. Come now, let me give you a spick up, and make you look a little more like old times. Now then, just a little shampoo." "No, no." "And the scissors put round your 'air a bit. Shave wouldn't hurt you neither." "I wish you wouldn't worry me, Jerry." "I won't worry you; only you can't see a lady as you are, you know-- Don't want to--keep your eyes shut, please--to see you a bit o' dandy, like Mr Lacey. Feel nice and cool, eh?" Dick nodded, and suffered Jerry to place his hands on each side of the basin of water planted upon his knees, so as to keep it steady.