nel
immediately; pretend to him that it was a mere blunder, from the
inattention of my servant--hand over Stubbes to the powers that punish,
(here the poor fellow winced a little,) and make my peace as well as I
can. But, adjutant, mind," said I, "and give the real version to all our
fellows, and tell them to make it public as much as they please."

"Never fear," said he, as he left the room still laughing, "they shall
all know the true story; but I wish with all my heart you were well out
of it."

I now lost no time in making my toilet, and presented myself at the
Colonel's quarters. It is no pleasure for me to recount these passages
in my life, in which I have had to hear the "proud man's contumely." I
shall therefore merely observe, that after a very long interview, the
Colonel accepted my apologies, and we parted.

Before a week elapsed, the story had gone far and near; every
dinner-table in Cork had laughed at it. As for me, I attained immortal
honour for my tact and courage. Poor Gullable readily agreed to favour
the story, and gave us a dinner as the lost wager, and the Colonel was
so unmercifully quizzed on the subject, and such broad allusions to his
being humbugged were given in the Cork papers, that he was obliged to
negociate a change of quarters with another regiment, to get out of the
continual jesting, and in less than a month we marched to Limerick, to
relieve, as it was reported, the 9th, ordered for foreign service, but,
in reality, only to relieve Lieut.-Colonel C____, quizzed beyond
endurance.

However, if the Colonel had seemed to forgive, he did not forget, for the
very second week after our arrival in Limerick, I received one morning at
my breakfast-table, the following brief note from our adjutant:--

"My Dear Lorrequer--The Colonel has received orders to despatch two
companies to some remote part of the county Clare; as you have 'done
the state some service,' you are selected for the beautiful town of
Kilrush, where, to use the eulogistic language of the geography
books, 'there is a good harbour, and a market plentifully supplied
with fish.' I have just heard of the kind intention in store for
you, and lose no time in letting you know.

"God give you a good deliverance from the 'garcons lances,' as the
Moniteur calls the Whiteboys, and believe me ever your's, Charles
Curzon."

I had scarcely twice read over the adjutant's epistle, w