The Luck of Barry Lyndon, William Makepeace Thackeray [best ereader under 100 .txt] 📗

thought that his brothers were still starving at home, when they might be so much better off in His Majesty’s service.

“ ‘ ’Faith,’ says Morgan to the sergeant, to whom he imparted the information, ‘it’s my brother Bin that would make the fine sergeant of the guards, entirely!’

“ ‘Is Ben as tall as you are?’ asked the sergeant.

“ ‘As tall as me, is it? Why, man, I’m the shortest of my family! There’s six more of us, but Bin’s the biggest of all. Oh! out and out the biggest. Seven feet in his stockin-fut, as sure as my name’s Morgan!’

“ ‘Can’t we send and fetch them over, these brothers of yours?’

“ ‘Not you. Ever since I was seduced by one of you gentlemen of the cane, they’ve a mortal aversion to all sergeants,’ answered Morgan: ‘but it’s a pity they cannot come, too. What a monster Bin would be in a grenadier’s cap!’

“He said nothing more at the time regarding his brothers, but only sighed as if lamenting their hard fate. However, the story was told by the sergeant to the officers, and by the officers to the King himself; and His Majesty was so inflamed by curiosity, that he actually consented to let Morgan go home in order to bring back with him his seven enormous brothers.”

“And were they as big as Morgan pretended?” asked my comrade. I could not help laughing at his simplicity.

“Do you suppose,” cried I, “that Morgan ever came back? No, no; once free, he was too wise for that. He has bought a snug farm in Tipperary with the money that was given him to secure his brothers; and I fancy few men of the guards ever profited so much by it.”

The Prussian captain laughed exceedingly at this story, said that the English were the cleverest nation in the world, and, on my setting him right, agreed that the Irish were even more so. We rode on very well pleased with each other; for he had a thousand stories of the war to tell, of the skill and gallantry of Frederick, and the thousand escapes, and victories, and defeats scarcely less glorious than victories, through which the King had passed. Now that I was a gentleman, I could listen with admiration to these tales: and yet the sentiment recorded at the end of the last chapter was uppermost in my mind but three weeks back, when I remembered that it was the great general got the glory, and the poor soldier only insult and the cane.

“By the way, to whom are you taking despatches?” asked the officer.

It was another ugly question, which I determined to answer at haphazard; and so I said “To General Rolls.” I had seen the general a year before, and gave the first name in my head. My friend was quite satisfied with it, and we continued our ride until evening came on; and our horses being weary, it was agreed that we should come to a halt.

“There is a very good inn,” said the Captain, as we rode up to what appeared to me a very lonely-looking place.

“This may be a very good inn for Germany,” said I, “but it would not pass in old Ireland. Corbach is only a league off: let us push on for Corbach.”

“Do you want to see the loveliest woman in Europe?” said the officer. “Ah! you sly rogue, I see that will influence you;” and, truth to say, such a proposal was always welcome to me, as I don’t care to own. “The people are great farmers,” said the Captain, “as well as innkeepers;” and, indeed, the place seemed more a farm than an inn yard. We entered by a great gate into a Court walled round, and at one end of which was the building, a dingy ruinous place. A couple of covered waggens were in the court, their horses were littered under a shed hard by, and lounging about the place were some men and a pair of sergeants in the Prussian uniform, who both touched their hats to my friend the Captain. This customary formality struck me as nothing extraordinary, but the aspect of the inn had something exceedingly chilling and forbidding in it, and I observed the men shut to the great yard-gates as soon as we were entered. Parties of French horsemen, the Captain said, were about the country, and one could not take too many precautions against such villains.

We went into supper, after the two sergeants had taken charge of our horses; the Captain, also, ordering one of them to take my valise to my bedroom. I promised the worthy fellow a glass of schnapps for his pains.

A dish of fried eggs-and-bacon was ordered from a hideous old wench that came to serve us, in place of the lovely creature I had expected to see; and the Captain, laughing, said, “Well, our meal is a frugal one, but a soldier has many a time a worse;” and, taking off his hat, sword-belt, and gloves, with great ceremony, he sat down to eat. I would not be behindhand with him in politeness, and put my weapon securely on the old chest of drawers where his was laid.

The hideous old woman before mentioned brought us in a pot of very sour wine, at which and at her ugliness I felt a considerable ill-humour.

“Where’s the beauty you promised me?” said I, as soon as the old hag had left the room.

“Bah!” said he, laughing, and looking hard at me: “it was my joke. I was tired, and did not care to go farther. There’s no prettier woman here than that. If she won’t suit your fancy, my friend, you must wait a while.”

This increased my ill-humour.

“Upon my word, sir,” said I sternly, “I think you have acted very coolly!”

“I have acted as I think fit!” replied the captain.

“Sir,” said I, “I’m a British officer!”

“It’s a lie!” roared the other, “you’re a deserter! You’re an impostor, sir; I have known you for such these three hours. I