Champagne, and
in succession followed Bordeaux, and Burgundy, and Madeira, and then
Bordeaux again of a rarer and choicer vintage, Tony's head grew addled
and confused. Though he spoke very little, there passed through his mind
all the varied changes that his nature was susceptible of. He was gay
and depressed, daring and cautious, quarrelsome and forgiving, stern and
affectionate, by turns. There were moments when he would have laid down
his life for the company, and fleeting instants when his eye glanced
around to see upon whom he could fix a deadly quarrel; now he felt
rather vainglorious at being one of such a distinguished company, and
now a sharp distrust shot through him that he was there to be the
butt of these town-bred wits, whose merriment was nothing but a covert
impertinence.

All these changeful moods only served to make him drink more deeply. He
filled bumpers and drank them daringly. Skeffington told the story of
the threat to kick Willis,--not much in itself, but full of interest to
the young officials who knew Willis as an institution, and could no
more have imagined his personal chastisement than an insult to the royal
arms. When Skeff, however, finished by saying that the Secretary of
State himself rather approved of the measure, they began to feel that
Tony Butler was that greatest of all created things, "a rising man." For
as the power of the unknown number is incommensurable, so the height to
which a man's success may carry him can never be estimated.

"It's deuced hard to get one of these messenger-ships," said one of the
guardsmen; "they say it's far easier to be named Secretary of Legation."

"Of course it is. Fifty fellows are able to ride in a coach for one that
can read and write," said May fair.

"What do you mean by that?" cried Tony, his eyes flashing fire.

"Just what I said," replied the other, mildly,--"that as there is no
born mammal so helpless as a real gentleman, it's the rarest thing to
find an empty shell to suit him."

"And they're, well paid, too," broke in the soldier. "Why, there's no
fellow so well off. They have five pounds a day."

"No, they have not."

"They have."

"They have not."

"On duty--when they're on duty."

"No, nor off duty."

"Harris told me."

"Harris is a fool."

"He's my cousin," said a sickly young fellow, who looked deadly pale,
"and I'll not hear him called a liar."

"Nobody said liar. I said he was a fool."

"And so he is," broke i