ng sneer. "He loves me like a brother; you know he does,
Captain.--No?--He don't?--Well, perhaps he don't; and if you ask me no
questions, perhaps I'll tell you no lies, Captain Strong--put that in
your pipe and smoke it, my boy."

"But I'll give up that confounded brandy-bottle," the Colonel continued,
after a pause. "I must give it up, or it'll be the ruin of me."

"It makes you say queer things," said the Captain, looking Altamont hard
in the face. "Remember what you said last night, at Clavering's table."

"Say? What did I say?" asked the other hastily. "Did I split anything?
Dammy, Strong, did I split anything?"

"Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies," the Chevalier
replied on his part. Strong thought of the words Mr. Altamont had used,
and his abrupt departure from the Baronet's dining-table and house as
soon as he recognised Major Pendennis, or Captain Beak, as he called
the Major. But Strong resolved to seek an explanation of these words
otherwise than from Colonel Altamont, and did not choose to recall them
to the other's memory. "No," he said then, "you didn't split as you
call it, Colonel; it was only a trap of mine to see if I could make you
speak; but you didn't say a word that anybody could comprehend--you were
too far gone for that."

So much the better, Altamont thought; and heaved a great sigh, as if
relieved. Strong remarked the emotion, but took no notice, and the other
being in a communicative mood, went on speaking.

"Yes, I own to my faults," continued the Colonel. "There is some things
I can't, do what I will, resist: a bottle of brandy, a box of dice, and
a beautiful woman. No man of pluck and spirit, no man as was worth his
salt ever could, as I know of. There's hardly p'raps a country in the
world in which them three ain't got me into trouble."

"Indeed?" said Strong.

"Yes, from the age of fifteen, when I ran away from home, and went
cabin-boy on board an Indiaman, till now, when I'm fifty year old,
pretty nigh, them women have always been my ruin. Why, it was one of
'em, and with such black eyes and jewels on her neck, and Battens and
ermine like a duchess, I tell you--it was one of 'em at Paris that swept
off the best part of the thousand pound as I went off with. Didn't I
ever tell you of it? Well, I don't mind. At first I was very cautious
and having such a lot of money kept it close and lived like a
gentleman--Colonel Altamont, Meurice's hotel, and that sort of
thing-