.'

"I saw that his curiosity was excited, and took every means to increase it
farther. At length, as if yielding to a sudden impulse of friendship, and
having sworn him to secrecy, I took him aside, and began thus,--

"'I may trust you, Sparks, I feel I may; and when I tell you that my
honor, my reputation, my whole fortune is at stake, you will judge of the
importance of the trust.'

"The goggle eyes rolled fearfully, and his features exhibited the most
craving anxiety to hear my story.

"'You wish to know why I left the Fifty-sixth. Now I'll tell you; but mind,
you're pledged, you're sworn, never to divulge it.'

"'Honor bright.'

"'There, that's enough; I'm satisfied. It was a slight infraction of the
articles of war; a little breach of the rules and regulations of the
service; a trifling misconception of the mess code,--they caught me one
evening leaving the mess with--What do you think in my pocket? But
you'll never tell! No, no, I know you'll not; eight forks and a
gravy-spoon,--silver forks every one of them. There now,' said I, grasping
his hand, 'you have my secret; my fame and character are in your hands, for
you see they made me quit the regiment,--a man can't stay in a corps where
he is laughed at.'

"Covering my face with my handkerchief, as if to conceal my shame, I turned
away, and left Sparks to his meditations. That same evening we happened to
have some strangers at mess; the bottle was passing freely round, and as
usual the good spirits of the party at the top of their bent, when suddenly
from the lower end of the table, a voice was heard demanding, in tones of
the most pompous importance, permission to address the president upon a
topic where the honor of the whole regiment was concerned.

"'I rise, gentlemen,' said Mr. Sparks, 'with feelings the most painful;
whatever may have been the laxity of habit and freedom of conversation
habitual in this regiment, I never believed that so flagrant an instance as
this morning came to my ears--'

"'Oh, murder!' said I. 'Oh, Sparks, darling, sure you're not going to
tell?'

"'Doctor Quill,' replied he, in an austere tone, 'it is impossible for me
to conceal it.'

"'Oh, Sparks, dear, will you betray me?'

"I gave him here a look of the most imploring entreaty, to which he replied
by one of unflinching sternness.

"'I have made up my mind, sir,' continued he; 'it is possible the officers
of this corps may look more leniently than I do upon this tr