beauteous mother: tell me, before I leave you, if I may hope for a
return of my affection. Say that you love me, and I will do such
deeds in this coming war, as shall make you proud of the name of
your Gahagan."

The old woman, as I delivered these touching words, stared,
snapped, and ground her teeth, like an enraged monkey. Julia was
now red, now white; the Colonel stretched forward, took the fork
out of the calf of my leg, wiped it, and then seized a bundle of
letters which I had remarked by his side.

"A cornet!" said he, in a voice choking with emotion; "a pitiful
beggarly Irish cornet aspire to the hand of Julia Jowler! Gag--
Gahagan, are you mad, or laughing at us? Look at these letters,
young man--at these letters, I say--one hundred and twenty-four
epistles from every part of India (not including one from the
Governor-General, and six from his brother, Colonel Wellesley)--one
hundred and twenty-four proposals for the hand of Miss Jowler!
Cornet Gahagan," he continued, "I wish to think well of you: you
are the bravest, the most modest, and, perhaps, the handsomest man
in our corps; but you have not got a single rupee. You ask me for
Julia, and you do not possess even an anna!"--(Here the old rogue
grinned, as if he had made a capital pun.)--"No, no," said he,
waxing good-natured; "Gagy my boy, it is nonsense! Julia love,
retire with your mamma; this silly young gentleman will remain and
smoke a pipe with me."

I took one: it was the bitterest chillum I ever smoked in my life.

* * *