oolfellows. I 'm not sure he was n't my
godfather, or, at least, one of them; I had four." Here the captain
began counting on his fingers. "There was the Moulah, one; the Cham,
two--"

"I beg your pardon for the interruption," said Barton, with affected
politeness; "how long has he occupied these quarters? That fact may
possibly not be too antiquated for your memory."

"How long?" said Bubbleton, reflectingly. "Let me see: here we are in
August--"

"Three weeks on Tuesday last," said I, interfering, to prevent any
further drain on so lavish an imagination.

"Then you came here on the day of the riots?" said Barton.

"On that evening," was my reply.

"On that evening,--just so. Before or after, may I isk?"

"I shall answer no further questions," said I, resolutely. "If you have
any charge against me, it is for you to prove it."

"Charge against you!" said Bubbleton, laughing. "Bless your heart,
boy, don't mistake him; they've sent him down to compliment you. Lord
Castlereagh mentions in his note--Where the devil did I throw that
note?"

"It's of no consequence, Captain," said Barton, dryly; "his lordship
usually intrusts the management of these matters to me. May I learn, is
this young gentleman known in your regiment? Has he been at your mess?"

"Tom Burke known among us! Why, man, he 's called nothing but 'Burke of
Ours.' He 's one of ourselves; not gazetted, you know, but all the same
in fact. We could n't get on without him; he's like the mess-plate, or
the orderly-book, or the regimental snuffbox."

"I 'm sincerely sorry, sir," rejoined Barton, slowly, "to rob you and
the gallant Forty-fifth of one upon whom you place such just value; but
'Burke of Ours' must consent to be Burke of mine at present."

"To be sure, my dear major, of course; anything convivial,--nothing
like good fellowship. We'll lend him to you for to-day,--one day, mark
me,--we can't spare him longer. And now I think of it, don't press him
with his wine; he 's been poorly of late."

"Have no fears on that score," said Barton, laughing outright; "our
habits of life, in his circumstances, are rigidly temperate." Then,
turning to me, he continued, in an altered voice: "I need scarcely
explain to you, sir, the reason of my visit. When last we parted I did
not anticipate that our next meeting would have been in a royal barrack;
but you may thank your friend here for my knowledge of your abode--"

Bubbleton attempted to interpose here a p