ch dog.

In the kitchen, Mr. Maguffin considered himself, next to Tryphena and
Tryphosa, the representative of the family, as the deputy of Timotheus
and the servant of the colonel. Ben Toner was his ally in war, but had
no local standing, and the pensioner was simply an intruder. Yet, with
cool effrontery, the corporal sat in the place of honour beside
Tryphena, and regaled her with narratives of warfare, to which she had
listened many times already. Ben and Serlizer were still full of one
another's society. He had comforted her heart, if it needed any
comforting, over the condition of her father, whom he and Timotheus had
treated so cavalierly, and urged her not to go home any more, but to
come and help the old woman. With a bad example before her at home, and
very far from improving ones at the Select Encampment, Serlizer was yet,
though not too cultivated, an honest steady girl, and was pleased to
learn that Ben had really turned over a new leaf. She gave her
sweetheart to understand that she had kept her own money, not being such
a fool as to let the old man get his hands on it, and that it was safe
in the bundle she had brought from the boarding-house, whereupon Ben
said she had better put that bundle away in a safe place, for you
couldn't tell what kind of characters might be about. Mr. Maguffin heard
these words, and, taking them to himself, waxed indignant.

"Ef yoh'se diloodin' ter this pressum comperny, Mistah Tonah, I wants
ter say I takes the sponsability ob these young ladies on my shouldahs,
sah, the shouldahs ob Mortimah Magrudah Maguffin, sah. Foh what remains
ober ob the mascline paht ob it, I ain't no call foh ter spress mysef.
It kin speak foh itsef."

The corporal glowered, and smote the table with his fist.

"Pardon my indignation, Miss Hill! This creature, with no military or
other standing that I know of, calls me, a retired non-commissioned
officer of the British army, it. In India, where I served, I called such
things _chakar_ and _banda_, the very dust beneath my feet, Miss
Tryphena; and it was as much as their life was worth to call me less
than _sahib_. And, now that I have retired on a pension, with my medals
and clasps, and am an officer of the law, a black man, a _kali_,
presumes to _it_ me. I have known a _kali chakar_ killed, yes killed,
for less. 'Corporal,' said the commanding officer to me, 'Corporal
Rigby,' said he, many a time, 'order one of your men to call up that
black dog o