who appeared quite overwhelmed with joy to see me.

"Heaven bless us!" said he, "and now who could have believed all this?
And have I, at last, to my heart's desire, the great honor of seeing
under my humble roof the noble major Horry?"

I told him I was much obliged to him, for his politeness --
but, for the present, was rather too hungry to relish compliments.
"Like sweetmeats, captain," said I, "a little of them may do pretty well
after a good dinner."

"Oh, my dear major!" quoth he, "and how sorry I am now that I have nothing fit
for dinner for you, my noble son of thunder -- a saddle of fat venison, major;
or a brace of young ducks; or, a green goose with currant jelly,
and a bottle of old Madeira to wash it down, do you see, major!
something NICE for you, do you see, major!"

"NICE," said I, "captain Johnson! We soldiers of liberty
don't stand upon the NICE -- the SUBSTANTIAL is that we care for --
a rasher of fat bacon from the coals, with a good stout lump of an ash cake,
is NICE enough for us."

"Oh, my dear sir!" replied he, "now DON'T, DON'T be angry with me;
for I was only sorry that I have nothing half so good for you as I could wish,
but such as it is, thank God, we have plenty; and you shall have a bite
in a trice." So off he went, as he pretended, to hurry dinner.

Now can any honest man believe that this same man, captain Johnson,
who had been, as Paddy says, "sticking the blarney into me at that rate,"
could have been such a scoundrel as to turn about the very next minute,