Protestant by constitution.

'That never happens in our corps, Sir,' said the general, haughtily;
'but, as I say, when a quarrel--does--occur--Sir--there, they're off at
last; when it does occur--I say--heyday! what a thundering pace! a
gallop, by George! that don't look well (a pause)--and--and--a--about
what you were saying--you know he _couldn't_ die a Papist in our
corps--no one does--no one ever _did_--it would be, you know--it would
be a _trick_, Sir, and O'Flaherty's a gentleman; it _could_ not be--(he
was thinking of Miss Becky again--she was so fierce on the Gunpowder
Plot, the rising of 1642, and Jesuits in general, and he went on a
little flustered); but then, Sir, as I was saying, though the thing has
its uses----.'

'I'd like to know where society'd be without it,' interposed Bligh, with
a sneer.

'Though it may have its uses, Sir; it's not a thing one can sit down and
say is _right_--we _can't_!'

'I've heard your sister, Miss Becky, speak strongly on that point,
too,'said Bligh.

'Ah! I dare say,' said the general, quite innocently, an coughing a
little. This was a sore point with the hen-pecked warrior, and the grim
scarcecrow by his side knew it, and grinned through his telescope; 'and
you see--I say--eh! I think they're breaking up, a--and--I say--I--it
seems all over--eh--and so, dear colonel, I must take my leave, and----.'

And after a lingering look, he shut up his glass, and walking
thoughtfully back with his friend, said suddenly--

'And, now I think of it--it could not be _that_--Puddock, you know,
would not suffer the priest to sit in the same coach with such a
design--Puddock's a good officer, eh! and knows his duty.'

A few hours afterwards, General Chattesworth, having just dismounted
outside the Artillery barracks, to his surprise, met Puddock and
O'Flaherty walking leisurely in the street of Chapelizod. O'Flaherty
looked pale and shaky, and rather wild; and the general returned his
salute, looking deuced hard at him, and wondering all the time in what
part of his body (in his phrase) 'he had got it;' and how the plague the
doctors had put him so soon on his legs again.

'Ha, Lieutenant Puddock,' with a smile, which Puddock thought
significant--'give you good-evening, Sir. Dr. Toole anywhere about, or
have you seen Sturk?'

'No, he had not.'

The general wanted to hear by accident, or in confidence, all about it;
and having engaged Puddock in talk, that officer followed by hi