won't be soon exhausted."

"Ah, may well say that," replied the Corporal, exceedingly flattered
with the permission he had obtained, "and any thing my poor wit can
suggest, quite at your honour's sarvice--ehem!--hem! You must know
by Lunnun, I means the world, and by the world means Lunnun,--know
one--know t'other. But 'tis not them as affects to be most knowing as
be so at bottom. Begging your honour's pardon, I thinks gentlefolks what
lives only with gentlefolks, and call themselves men of the world, be
often no wiser nor Pagan creturs, and live in a gentile darkness."

"The true knowledge of the world," said Walter, "is only then for the
Corporals of the Forty-second,--eh, Bunting?"

"As to that, Sir," quoth the Corporal, "'tis not being of this calling
or of that calling that helps one on; 'tis an inborn sort of genus the
talent of obsarving, and growing wise by obsarving. One picks up
crumb here, crumb there: but if one has not good digestion, Lord, what
sinnifies a feast?--Healthy man thrives on a 'tatoe, sickly looks pale
on a haunch. You sees, your honour, as I said afore, I was own sarvant
to Colonel Dysart; he was a Lord's nephy, a very gay gentleman, and
great hand with the ladies,--not a man more in the world;--so I had the
opportunity of larning what's what among the best set; at his honour's
expense, too,--augh! To my mind, Sir, there is not a place from which a
man has a better view of things than the bit carpet behind a gentleman's
chair. The gentleman eats, and talks, and swears, and jests, and plays
cards and makes love, and tries to cheat, and is cheated, and his man
stands behind with his eyes and ears open,--augh!"

"One should go to service to learn diplomacy, I see," said Walter,
greatly amused.

"Does not know what 'plomacy be, Sir, but knows it would be better for
many a young master nor all the Colleges;--would not be so many bubbles
if my Lord could take a turn now and then with John. A-well, Sir!--how
I used to laugh in my sleeve like, when I saw my master, who was thought
the knowingest gentleman about Court, taken in every day smack afore my
face. There was one lady whom he had tried hard, as he thought, to get
away from her husband; and he used to be so mighty pleased at every
glance from her brown eyes--and be d--d to them!--and so careful the
husband should not see--so pluming himself on his discretion here, and
his conquest there,--when, Lord bless you, it was all settled 'twixt ma