"No, no, Dick, I never said you were worthless," was the reply. "Please your honour," said Dick, "ye did not say it, but I consider any man who spends his money in drink is worthless; and, what is mair, a fool; and, worse than all, is no Christian. He has no recovery in him, no supports to fall back on, but is in full retreat, as we would say, from common decency." "But you know," said my friend, looking kindly on Dick, "the bravest soldiers, and none were braver than those who served in the Peninsula, often exceeded fearfully--shamefully; and were a disgrace to humanity." "Well," replied Dick, "it’s no easy to make evil good, and I won’t try to do so; but yet ye forget our difficulties and temptations. Consider only, sir, that there we were, not in bed for months and months; marching at all hours; ill-fed, ill-clothed, and uncertain of life--which I assure your honour makes men indifferent to it; and we had often to get our mess as we best could,--sometimes a tough steak out of a dead horse or mule, for when the beast was skinned it was difficult to make oot its kind; and after toiling and moiling, up and down, here and there and everywhere, summer and winter, when at last we took a town with blood and wounds, and when a cask of wine or spirits fell in the way of the troops, I don’t believe that you, sir, or the justices of the peace, or, with reverence be it spoken, the ministers themselves, would have said ’No’, to a drop. You’ll excuse me, sir; I’m perhaps too free with you." "I didn’t mean to lecture you, or to blame you, Dick, for I know the army is not the place for Christians." "Begging your honour’s pardon, sir," said Dick, "the best Christians I ever knowed were in the army--men who would do their dooty to their king, their country, and their God." "You have known such?" I asked, breaking into the conversation, to turn it aside from what threatened to be a dispute. "I have, sir! There’s ane Adam Mercer, in this very parish, an elder of the Church--I’m a Dissenter mysel’, on principle, for I consider----" "Go on, Dick, about Mercer; never mind your Church principles."