From it there dated a reminiscence of Sir Hussey Vivian, his Commander-
in-Chief in Dublin. Sir Hussey, who, with his dragoons, covered Moore's
retreat on Corunna, knew Sir George's father in the Spanish Peninsula.
Viewing the troublous Irish times, he had ordered that military officers
should wear their uniform, whether on duty or not. Handsome, genial,
popular with everybody, a born soldier; this was Sir George's
appreciation of the man with whom he had the following adventure:

'Accompanied by a brother officer I was strolling along in Dublin,
neither of us in uniform, notwithstanding Sir Hussey's order. We were
walking arm in arm when, on turning a corner, we espied him and his
staff. What was to be done? We did not relish the notion of being caught
in mufti, and looked round for a door of escape. There was none, except
flight, and we took to our heels.

'The same night we each had a message from Sir Hussey, begging us to call
upon him at eleven o'clock next morning. We knew what that meant. Sir
Hussey had been too quick for our flight. A trifle shamefaced, we duly
presented ourselves at his quarters, and he talked to us for being abroad
in plain clothes.

'Our aspect of penitence won upon Sir Hussey. "If you had not bolted," he
added after the lecture, "I'm not sure that I should have felt it
necessary to summon you before me. But, frankly, I could not stand the
notion that any of my officers should run away from me." There the matter
amiably closed, and it was not till afterwards that I had an idea, which
might have appealed to Sir Hussey's gift of humour.

'I should have advanced to him the plea that, at least, we ran away