THE PLEASURES OF MILITARY SOCIETY. 263 



" My dear friend," said he, hiccuping at every sentence, " your 

 opinion, as an Englishman, I value before my own. Capital fellows, 

 Englishmen know good wine and good horses. Now, my good 

 friend, I shall put your friendship to the proof. I knew you would 

 not think my roan fit to carry me. You must remount me, and I 

 will make you a present of him on the honour of a gentleman I 

 will. There now you see a Frenchman can be liberal. Your bay 

 mare eh, mon cher ? I despise a man that won't serve a friend " 



" But, my dear captain," said I, in great alarm, lest he should be 

 serious, " your roan will be of no earthly service tome and the bay 

 mare you speak of is valuable. I gave 40 carolinas for her." 



<e The devil you did !" hiccuped my guest. " Then, my dear fel- 

 low, you gave too much money for her. Take my word, they cheated 

 you : they would not cheat me. I tell you what you are an Eng- 

 lishman I love an Englisman 111 give you 18 carolinas for her. 

 There now what d'ye think of that? If you had been a coc/ion 

 Prusse, I would not have given more than five." 



I saw I must either risk a quarrel with a drunken brigand, or part 

 with my mare for half her value. " Well," said I, " if you pay me 

 20 carolinas" 



" My dear fellow, I can't give you twenty. That's more than she's 

 worth they cheated you but I'll give you eighteen, and you shall 

 have the money. I don't often do these things but you are my 

 friend, and I am a man of honour." He now staggered into my 

 bed-room, which he had appropriated to his own use, and in a few 

 moments brought out a valise, which, being too heavy for him, he 

 threw violently on the table, and fell, with the exertion, on the flat 

 of his back. The weight of the valise forcing open the lid, coins of 

 all kinds rolled about the floor. Of all the language ever uttered by 

 mortal, none could by any possibility equal that of my sprawling 

 friend. I assisted him up, and then endeavoured to collect his 

 money. The valise contained a curious collection. All sorts of coin 

 were there ; some wrapped up in dirty paper, some in pieces of old 

 rags and stockings. After having paid myself, I put the rest back. 

 It was a very considerable sum. 



" You see, my friend/' said the militaire, while I was gathering 

 up his cash, " I am a soldier of fortune ; and what I can't get in the 

 regular way, why I get how I can. A gentleman must not be put 

 to inconvenience, while there are fat farmers to apply to. I manage 

 to scrape up a trifle by the road side, to spend in quarters as an officer 

 and a gentleman and pay my way like a man of honour." The last 

 bottle of wine had pretty nearly done my friend's business ; and he 

 was carried into his room by his servants, hiccuping the praises of 

 Englishmen, and trying, in vain, " La belle Gabrielle!" 



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