Majesty.

Our names were read out (in a pretty accent, by the way!) by
General Montholon, and the Emperor, as each was pronounced, made a
bow to the owner of it, but did not vouchsafe a word. At last
Montholon came to mine. The Emperor looked me at once in the face,
took his hands out of his pockets, put them behind his back, and
coming up to me smiling, pronounced the following words:-

"Assaye, Delhi, Deeg, Futtyghur?"

I blushed, and, taking off my hat with a bow, said, "Sire, c'est
moi."

"Parbleu! je le savais bien," said the Emperor, holding out his
snuff-box. "En usez-vous, Major?" I took a large pinch (which,
with the honour of speaking to so great a man, brought the tears
into my eyes), and he continued as nearly as possible in the
following words:-

"Sir, you are known; you come of an heroic nation. Your third
brother, the Chef de Bataillon, Count Godfrey Gahagan, was in my
Irish Brigade."

Gahagan. "Sire, it is true. He and my countrymen in your
Majesty's service stood under the green flag in the breach of
Burgos, and beat Wellington back. It was the only time, as your
Majesty knows, that Irishmen and Englishmen were beaten in that
war."