out of my service."

"And pretty Mrs. Cat?"

"Oh, curse pretty Mrs. Cat! she may go too."

"And the brat?"

"Why, you have parishes, and what not, here in England. Egad! if a
gentleman were called upon to keep all his children, there would be
no living: no, stap my vitals! Croesus couldn't stand it."

"No, indeed," said Mr. Trippet: "you are right; and when a
gentleman marries, he is bound in honour to give up such low
connections as are useful when he is a bachelor."

"Of course; and give them up I will, when the sweet Mrs. Dripping is
mine. As for the girl, you can have her, Tom Trippet, if you take a
fancy to her; and as for the Corporal, he may be handed over to my
successor in Cutts's:--for I will have a regiment to myself, that's
poz; and to take with me such a swindling, pimping, thieving,
brandy-faced rascal as this Brock will never do. Egad! he's a
disgrace to the service. As it is, I've often a mind to have the
superannuated vagabond drummed out of the corps."

Although this resume of Mr. Brock's character and accomplishments
was very just, it came perhaps with an ill grace from Count Gustavus
Adolphus Maximilian, who had profited by all his qualities, and who
certainly would never have given this opinion of them had he known
that the door of his dining-parlour was open, and that the gallant