Prev | Current Page 121 | Next

Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863

"Catherine: a Story"


"'Well, take him, sir,' says I, in a rage; 'and just let me have the
pleasure of telling him that he's a coward and a liar; and that my
lodgings are in Piccadilly, where, if ever he finds courage to meet
me, he may hear of me!'
"'Faugh! I shpit on ye all,' cries my gallant ally Macshane. And
sure enough he kept his word, or all but--suiting the action to it
at any rate.
"And so we gathered up our clothes, and went back in our separate
coaches, and no blood spilt.
"'And is it thrue now,' said Mr. Macshane, when we were alone--'is
it thrue now, all these divvles have been saying?' 'Ensign,' says
I, 'you're a man of the world?'
"''Deed and I am, and insign these twenty-two years.'
"'Perhaps you'd like a few pieces?' says I.
"'Faith and I should; for to tell you the secred thrut, I've not
tasted mate these four days.'
"'Well then, Ensign, it IS true,' says I; 'and as for meat, you
shall have some at the first cook-shop.' I bade the coach stop
until he bought a plateful, which he ate in the carriage, for my
time was precious. I just told him the whole story: at which he
laughed, and swore that it was the best piece of GENERALSHIP he ever
heard on. When his belly was full, I took out a couple of guineas
and gave them to him.


Pages:
109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133