.

Power, at the same moment, wheeled to the rear, from which he returned in
an instant, accompanied by three well-mounted light dragoons. "Sparks,"
said he, "now for an occasion of distinguishing yourself. You heard the
order, lose no time; and as your horse is an able one, and fresh, lose not
a second, but forward."

No sooner was Sparks despatched on what it was evident he felt to be
anything but a pleasant duty, than I turned towards Power, and said, with
some tinge of disappointment in the tone, "Well, if you really felt there
was anything worth doing there, I flattered myself that--"

"Speak out man. That I should have sent you, eh? Is it not so?"

"Yes, you've hit it."

"Well, Charley, my peace is easily made on this head. Why, I selected
Sparks simply to spare you one of the most unpleasant duties that can be
imposed upon a man; a duty which, let him discharge it to the uttermost,
will never be acknowledged, and the slightest failure in which will be
remembered for many a day against him, besides the pleasant and very
probable prospect of being selected as a bull's eye for a French rifle, or
carried off a prisoner; eh, Charley? There's no glory in that, devil a ray
of it! Come, come, old fellow, Fred Power's not the man to keep his friend
out of the _melee_, if only anything can be made by being in it. Poor
Sparks, I'd swear, is as little satisfied with the arrangement as yourself,
if one knew but all."

"I say, Power," said a tall, dashing-looking man of about five-and-forty,
with a Portuguese order on his breast,--"I say, Power, dine with us at the
halt."

"With pleasure, if I may bring my young friend here."

"Of course; pray introduce us."

"Major Hixley, Mr. O'Malley,--a 14th man, Hixley."

"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr. O'Malley. Knew a famous fellow in
Ireland of your name, a certain Godfrey O'Malley, member for some county or
other."

"My uncle," said I, blushing deeply, with a pleasurable feeling at even
this slight praise of my oldest friend.

"Your uncle! give me your hand. By Jove, his nephew has a right to good
treatment at my hands; he saved my life in the year '98. And how is old
Godfrey?"

"Quite well, when I left him some months ago; a little gout, now and then."

"To be sure he has, no man deserves it better; but it's a gentlemanlike
gout that merely jogs his memory in the morning of the good wine he has
drank over night. By-the-bye, what became of a friend of his, a