about the regiment, and warn you when we're alone. Introduce me to your brother now; sure he's a mighty fine man, and reminds me of me cousin Dan Malony (Malony of Ballymalony, my dear, you know, who mar'ied Ophalia Scully, of Oystherstown, own cousin to Lord Poldoody). Mr. Sedley, sir, I'm deloighted to be made known to ye. I suppose you'll dine at the mess today. (Mind that divvle of a docther, Mick, and whatever ye du, keep yourself sober for me party this evening)." 66 It's the 150th gives us a farewell dinner, my love," interposed the major, "but we'll easy get a card for Mr. Sedley." "Run Simple (Ensign Simple, of Ours, my dear Amelia. I forgot to introjuice him to ye). Run in a hurry, with Mrs. Major O'Dowd's compliments to Colonel Tavish, and Captain Osborne has brought his brothernlaw down, and will bring him to the 150th mess at five o'clock-sharp-when you and I, my dear, will take a snack here, if you like." Before Mrs. O'Dowd's speech was concluded, the young ensign was trotting down stairs on his commission. "Obedience is the soul of the army. We will go to our duty while Mrs. O'Dowd will stay and enlighten you, Emmy," Captain Osborne said; and the two captains, taking each a wing of the major, walked out with that officer, grinning at each other over his head. And, now having her new friend to herself, the impetuous Mrs. O'Dowd proceeded to pour out such a quantity of information as no poor little woman's memory could ever tax itself to bear. She told Amelia a thousand particulars relative to the very numerous family of which the amazed young lady found herself a member. "Mrs. Heavy top, the colonel's wife, died in Jamaica of the yellow faver and a broken heart comboined, for the horrud old colonel, with a head as bald as a cannon-ball, was making sheep's eyes at a half-caste girl there. Mrs. Magenis, though without education, was a good woman, but she had the divvle's tongue, and would cheat her own mother at whist. Mrs. Captain Kirk must turn up her lobster eyes forsooth at the idea of an honest round game (wherein me fawther, as pious a man as ever went to church, me uncle Dane Malony, and our cousin the bishop, took a hand at loo, or whist, every night of their lives). Nayther of 'em's goin with the regiment this time," Mrs. O'Dowd added. 66 Fanny Magenis stops with her mother, who sells small coal and potatoes, most likely, in Islington-town, hard by London, though she's always bragging of her father's ships, and pointing them out to us as they go up the river: and Mrs. Kirk and her children will stop here in Bethesda Place, to be nigh to her favorite preacher, Dr. Ramshorn. Mrs. Bunny's in an interesting situation-faith, and she al ways is, then-and has given the lieutenant seven already. And Ensign Posky's wife, who joined two months before you, my dear, has quarl'd with Tom Posky a score of times, till you can hear 'em all over the bar'ck (they say they're come to broken pleets, and Tom never accounted for his black oi), and she'll go back to her mother, who keeps a ladies' seminary at Richmond bad luck to her for running away from it! Where did ye get your finishing, my dear? I had moin, and no expince spared, at Madame Flanagan's, at Ilyssus Grove, Booterstown, near Dublin, wid a marchioness to teach us the true Parisian pronunciation, and a retired major-general of the French service to put us through the exercise." Of this incongruous family our astonished Amelia found herself all of a sudden a member: with Mrs. O'Dowd as an elder sister. She was presented to her other female relations at tea-time, on whom, as she was quiet, good-natured, and not too handsome, she made rather an agreeable impression until the arrival of the gentlemen from the mess of the 150th, who all admired her so, that her sisters began, of course, to find fault with her. "If a And, "I hope Osborne has sown his wild oats," said Mrs. Magenis to Mrs. Bunny. reformed rake makes a good husband, sure it's she will have the fine chance with Garge," Mrs. O'Dowd, remarked to Posky, who had lost her position as bride in the regiment, and was quite angry with the usurper. as for Mrs. Kirk, the disciple of Dr. Ramshorn put one or two leading professional questions to Amelia, to see whether she was awakened, whether she was a professing Christian and so forth, and finding from the simplicity of Mrs. Osborne's replies that she was yet in utter darkness, put into her hands three little penny books with pictures, viz., the "Howling Wilderness," the "Washerwoman of Wandsworth Common," and the "British Soldier's best Bayonet," which, bent upon awakening her before she slept, Mrs. Kirk begged Amelia to read that night ere she went to bed. But all the men, like good fellows as they were, rallied round their comrade's pretty wife, and paid her their court with soldierly gallantry. She had a little triumph, which flushed her spirits and made her eyes sparkle George was proud of her popularity, and pleased with the manner (which was very gay and graceful though naïve and a little timid) with which she received the gentlemen's attentions, and answered their compliments. And he in his uniform-how much handsomer he was than any man in the room! She felt that he was affectionately watching her, and glowed with pleasure at his kindness. "I will make all his friends welcome," she resolved in her heart. "I try and be gay and good-humored and make his sister and the major's wife, the bulk of his home happy." The regiment. indeed adopted her with acclamation. The captains approved, the lieutenants applauded, the ensigns admired. Old Cutler the doctor, made one or two jokes, which, being professional, need not be repeated; and Cackle, the assistant M. D. of Edinburgh, condescended to examine her upon leeterature, and tried her with his three best French quotations. Young Stub ble went about from man to man whispering, "Jove, isn't she a pretty gal?" and never took his eyes off her except when the negus came in. As for Captain Dobbin, he never so much as spoke to her during the whole evening. But he and Captain Porter of the 150th took home Jos to the hotel, who was in a very maudlin state, and had told his tigerhunt story with great effect, both at the mess-table; and at the soirée to Mrs. O'Dowd in her turban and bird of paradise. Having put the collector into the hands of his seryant, Dobbin loitered about, smoking his cigar before the inn door. George had meanwhile very carefully shawled his wife, and brought her away from Mrs. O'Dowd's, after a general hand-shaking from the young officers, who accompanied her to the fly, and cheered that vehicle as it drove off. So Amelia gave Dobbin her little hand as she got out of the carriage, and rebuked him smilingly for not having taken any notice of her all night. The captain continued that deleterious amusement of smoking, long after the inn and the street were gone to bed. He watched the lights vanish from George's sitting-room windows, and shine out in the bed-room close at hand. It was almost morning when he returned to his own quarters. He could hear the cheering from the ships in the river, where the transports were already taking in their cargoes preparatory to dropping down the Thames. CHAPTER XXVIII. whose goods and chattels, including the famous bird of paradise and turban, were with the regimental baggage: so that our two heroines drove pretty much unincumbered to Ramsgate, where there were plenty of packets plying, in one of which they had a speedy passage to Ostend. That period of Jos's life which now ensued was so full of incident, that it served him for conversation for many years after, and even the tiger-hunt story was put aside for more stirring narratives which he had to tell about the great campaign of Waterloo. As soon as he had agreed to escort his sister abroad, it was remarked that he ceased shaving his upper lip. At Chatham he followed the parades and drills with great assiduity. He listened with the utmost attention to the conversation of his brother officers (as he called them in after days sometimes), and learned as many military names as he could. In these studies the excellent Mrs. O'Dowd was of great assistance to him; and on the day finally when they embarked on board the Lovely Rose which was to carry them to their destination, he made his appearance in a braided frock-coat and duck trowsers, with a foraging cap ornamented with a smart gold band. Having his carriage with him, and informing every body on board confidentially that he was going to join the Duke of Wellington's army, folks mistook him for a great personage, a commissarygeneral, or a government courier at the very least. He suffered hugely on the voyage, during which the ladies were likewise prostrate: but Amelia was brought to life again as the packet made Ostend, by the sight of the transports conveying her regiment, which entered the harbor almost at the same time with the Lovely Rose. Jos went in a collapsed state to an inn, while Captain Dobbin escorted the ladies, and then busied himself in freeing Jos's carriage and luggage from the ship and the custom house, for Mr. Jos was at present without a servant, Osborne's man and his own pampered menial having conspired together at Chatham, and refused point blank to cross the water. This revolt, which came very suddenly, and on the last day, so alarmed Mr. Sedley, junior, that he was on the point of giving up THE regiment with its officers was to be the expedition, but Captain Dobbin (who transported in ships provided by His Majes- made himself immensely officious in the ty's government for the occasion; and in business, Jos said), rated him and laughed two days after the festive assembly at Mrs. at him soundly: the mustachoes were grown O'Dowd's apartments, in the midst of cheer- in advance, and Jos finally was persuaded to ing from all the East India ships in the river, embark. In place of the well-bred and welland the military on shore, the band playing fed London domestics, who could only speak "God save the king," the officers waving English, Dobbin procured for Jos's party a their hats, and the crews hurrahing gallantly, swarthy little Belgian servant who could the transports went down the river and pro- speak no language at all; but who by his ceeded under convoy to Ostend. Mean- bustling behavior, and by invariably addresswhile the gallant Jos had agreed to escort ing Mr. Sedley as "My lord," speedily ac IN WHICH AMELIA INVADES THE LOW COUNTRIES. quired that gentleman's favor. Times are altered at Ostend now; of the Britons who go thither, very few look like lords, or act like those members of our hereditary aristocracy. They seem for the most part shabby in attire, dingy of linen, lovers of billiards and brandy, and cigars and greasy ordinaries. : ing, that alarm was unknown, and that our travelers, among whom two were naturally of a very timid sort, were, like all the other multiplied English tourists, entirely at ease. The famous regiment, with so many of whose officers we have made acquaintance, was drafted in canal-boats to Bruges and But it may be said as a rule, that every Ghent, thence to march to Brussels. Jos Englishman in the Duke of Wellington's accompanied the ladies in the public boats: army paid his way. The remembrance of the which all old travelers in Flanders must such a fact surely becomes a nation of shop- remember for the luxury and accommodakeepers. It was a blessing for a commerce- tion they afforded. So prodigiously good loving country to be overrun by such an was the eating and drinking on board these army of customers and to have such cred- sluggish but most comfortable vessels, that itable warriors to feed. And the country there are legends extant of an English travwhich they came to protect is not military.eler who coming to Belgium for a week, and For a long period of history they have let traveling in one of these boats, was so deother people fight there. When the present lighted with the fare there that he went writer went to survey with eagle glance the field of Waterloo, we asked the conductor of the diligence, a portly warlike-looking veteran, whether he had been at the battle. "Pas si béte"-such an answer and sentiment as no Frenchman would own to-was his reply. But on the other hand, the postillion who drove us was a viscount, a son of some bankrupt imperial general, who accepted a pennyworth of beer on the road. The moral is surely a good one. backward and forward from Ghent to Bruges perpetually until the railroads were invented, when he drowned himself on the last trip of the passage-boat. Jos's death was not to be of this sort, but his comfort was exceeding, and Mrs. O'Dowd insisted that he only wanted her sister Glorvina to make his happiness complete. He sat on the roof of the cabin all day drinking Flemish beer, shouting for Isidor his servant, and talking gallantly to the ladies. 66 This flat, flourishing, easy country never His courage was prodigious. Boney atcould have looked more rich and prosperous, tack us!" he cried. "My dear creature, than in that opening summer of 1815, when my poor Emmy, don't be frightened. There's its green fields and quiet cities were enlivened no danger. The allies will be in Paris in by multiplied red-coats: when its wide chaus-two months, I tell you: when I'll take you sées swarmed with brilliant English equip- to dine in the Palais Royal, by Jove! There ages when its great canal-boats, gliding by rich pastures and pleasant quaint old villages, by old châteaux lying among old trees, were all crowded with well-to-do English travelers: when the soldier who drank at the village inn, not only drank, but paid his score: and Donald the Highlander, billeted in the Flemish farm-house, rocked the baby's cradle, while Jean and Jeannette were out getting in the hay. As our painters are bent on military subjects just now, I throw out this as a good subject for the pencil, to illustrate the principle of an honest English war. All looked as brilliant and harmless as a Hyde Park review. Meanwhile, Napoleon, screened behind his curtain of frontierfortresses, was preparing for the outbreak which was to drive all these orderly people into fury and blood; and lay so many of them low. Every body had such a perfect feeling of confidence in the leader (for the resolute faith which the Duke of Wellington had inspired in the whole English nation was as intense, as that more frantic enthusiasm with which at one time the French regarded Napoleon), the country seemed in so perfect a state of orderly defense, and the help at hand in case of need so near and overwhelmThis incident is mentioned in Mr. Gleig's recently published" Story of the Battle of Waterloo." are three hundred thousand Rooshians, I tell you, now entering France by Mayence and the Rhine-three hundred thousand under Wittgenstein and Barclay de Tolly, my poor love. You don't know military affairs, my dear. I do, and I tell you there's no infantry in France can stand against Rooshian infantry, and no general of Boney's that's fit to hold a candle to Wittgenstein. Then there are the Austrians, they are five hundred thousand if a man, and they are within ten marches of the frontier by this time, under Schwartzenberg and Prince Charles. Then there are the Prooshians under the gallant Prince Marshal. Show me a cavalry chief like him, now that Murat is gone. Hey, Mrs. O'Dowd? Do you think our little girl here need be afraid. Is there any cause for fear, Isidor? Hey, sir? Get some more beer." Mrs. O'Dowd said that "her Glorvina was not afraid of any man alive let alone a Frenchman," and tossed off a glass of beer with a wink which expressed her liking for the beverage. Having frequently been in presence of the enemy, or, in other words, faced the ladies at Cheltenham and Bath, our friend, the collector, had lost a great deal of his pristine timidity, and was now, especially when fortiwill love all who love him. I will always |