as on
the point of yielding, when he was rescued by the furious charge of a
detachment that marched to his relief: his wife namely, who, with two
squalling children, rushed into the "Bugle," boxed Butcher's ears, and
kept up such a tremendous fire of oaths and screams upon the Corporal,
that he was obliged to retreat. Fixing then her claws into Mr. Butcher's
hair, she proceeded to drag him out of the premises; and thus Mr. Brock
was overcome. His attack upon John Hayes was a still greater failure;
for that young man seemed to be invincible by drink, if not by love:
and at the end of the drinking-bout was a great deal more cool than
the Corporal himself; to whom he wished a very polite good-evening, as
calmly he took his hat to depart. He turned to look at Catherine, to be
sure, and then he was not quite so calm: but Catherine did not give any
reply to his good-night. She was seated at the Captain's table playing
at cribbage with him; and though Count Gustavus Maximilian lost every
game, he won more than he lost,--sly fellow!--and Mrs. Catherine was no
match for him.

It is to be presumed that Hayes gave some information to Mrs. Score,
the landlady: for, on leaving the kitchen, he was seen to linger for a
moment in the bar; and very soon after Mrs. Catherine was called away
from her attendance on the Count, who, when he asked for a sack and
toast, was furnished with those articles by the landlady herself: and,
during the half-hour in which he was employed in consuming this drink,
Monsieur de Galgenstein looked very much disturbed and out of humour,
and cast his eyes to the door perpetually; but no Catherine came. At
last, very sulkily, he desired to be shown to bed, and walked as well as
he could (for, to say truth, the noble Count was by this time somewhat
unsteady on his legs) to his chamber. It was Mrs. Score who showed
him to it, and closed the curtains, and pointed triumphantly to the
whiteness of the sheets.

"It's a very comfortable room," said she, "though not the best in the
house; which belong of right to your Lordship's worship; but our
best room has two beds, and Mr. Corporal is in that, locked and
double-locked, with his three tipsy recruits. But your honour will find
this here bed comfortable and well-aired; I've slept in it myself this
eighteen years."

"What, my good woman, you are going to sit up, eh? It's cruel hard on
you, madam."

"Sit up, my Lord? bless you, no! I shall have half of our Cat's be