1830.J The United Service Smoke-shop: a Winter Sketch, 557 



Jackson, captain of one of the two troops of which the corps is now com- 

 posed. You must know that Basil and your humble servant entered 

 the army together upwards of forty years since ; by a strange co-inci- 

 dence in our fortunes we ascended step by step together in the service, 

 and at three-score-and-five years feel the same interest for each other's 

 welfare as in our more youthful days, 



Lt. Col. Towlter. Lord George Beresford got a cavalry regiment the 

 other day, but I never could meet with any one who could tell me for 

 what service. 



Capt. Kilkenny. His family's and gratitude for support, in ex- 

 pectancy. 



Lt. Col. Towlter. And there's LordEdward Somerset succeeded old Garth 

 in the Royal Dragoons, and also obtained the Lieutenant Generalship of 

 the Ordnance but he is a soldier ! Well ! although I hate to sound any 

 man's knell, I think we shall have two or three cavalry vacancies before 

 we cut our next Michaelmas goose. 



Capt. Kilkenny. What's to become of the 5th Dragoon Guards in the* 

 event of Prince Leopold being elevated to the crown of Greece ? a de- 

 stiny which is, 1 believe, no longer problematical. 



Major Claymore. Why, given to some cavalry man, I suppose ; there 

 are a number of the old ones yet unprovided for. I have always been of 

 opinion that the colonelcy of that regiment should, in the person of the 

 husband of the late princess, (whose name it bears,) have been but 

 honorary ; it was unworthy of FIELD MARSHAL the PRINCE O;F CO- 

 BURG to soil his hands with the emoluments ; which, if analysed very 

 minutely, are not exactly what an officer and a gentleman ought to 

 derive a profit from ; but which, until some correction of the evil takes 

 place, must be received by colonels, as part and parcel of their advan- 

 tages. 



Capt. Cleverly. Is it quite so certain, Kilkenny, that the Prince will 

 be so comfortably settled on the throne of Greece ? There are rumours 

 of a hitch in the arrangement 011 the part of some of the leading powers, 

 what do you think, Major ? 



Major Claymore. Believe me, I never allowed the subject to occupy 

 my thoughts a minute. 



Lt. Col. Towlter. But I have I wish for differences : hang me if I 

 care in what quarter they arise, I am sick of idleness ; and as keen for 

 a kick up as a lawyer for a lunacy cause. I was in hopes a couple of 

 years ago that fortune had taken pity on us, and that something would 

 turn out of that " untoward event" with the Turks ; but it all ended in 

 smoke ! 



Beau Ben. Not all, colonel ; there was a something more. 



Lt. Col. Towlter. O yes, my fine fellows ! as far as brave fighting 

 went, you never behaved better ; but I meant as to consequences. 



Mainbrace. As for consequences, Ben can speak of them ; he got the 

 step, for which he might have waited another fourteen years. 



Beau Ben. Yes, Mainbrace, it did give me the step, over the heads of 

 many an old and esteemed messmate ; but it was our chance yours may 

 come next ; our professions are a lottery. 



Lt. Col. Towlter. With a thousand blanks to one prize ! 



Capt. Cleverty. Your admiral has been severely attacked in a foreign 

 journal for refusing quarter to the unfortunate Turks, who, it is stated, 



