ravo, Mr. Wurzel! Bravo, sir; I've seen
many a man inlisted, and sewed the Queen's colours on for him, but never
for a smarter or a finer fellow, there!" and she skipped from the room.

"Well done!" said several voices. And the sergeant said:

"What do you think of that, Mr. Wurzel? I'll back she's never said that
to a soldier before."

Joe turned his hat about and drew the ribbons through his fingers, as
pleased as a child with a new toy, and as proud as if he had helped to
win a great battle.

Here I awoke.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Sergeant makes a loyal speech and sings a song, both of which are
well received by the company.

And when I got to Bournemouth I dreamed again; and a singular thing
during this history was, that always in my dream I began where I had left
off on the previous night. So I saw that there, in the room at "The
Goose," were Sergeant Goodtale, and Harry, and Joe, and the rest, just as
I had left them when I last awoke. But methought there was an air of
swagger on the part of the head witness which I had not observed
previously. His hat was placed on one side, in imitation of the
sergeant's natty cap, and he seemed already to hold up his head in a
highly military manner; and when he stooped down to get a light he tried
to stoop in the same graceful and military style as the sergeant himself;
and after blowing it out, threw down the spill in the most off-hand
manner possible, as though he said, "That's how we chaps do it in the
Hussars!" Everyone noticed the difference in the manner and bearing of
the young recruit. There was a certain swagger and boldness of demeanour
that only comes after you have enlisted. Nor was this change confined to
outward appearance alone. What now were pigs in the mind of Joe? Merely
the producers of pork chops for breakfast. What was Dobbin that slowly
dragged the plough compared to the charger that Joe was destined to
bestride? And what about Polly Sweetlove and her saucy looks? Perhaps
she'd be rather sorry now that she did not receive with more favour his
many attentions. Such were the thoughts that passed through the lad's
mind as he gradually awakened to a sense of his new position. One
thought, however, strange to say, did not occur to him, and that was as
to what his poor old mother would think. Dutiful son as Joe had always
been, (though wild in some respects), he had not given her a single
thought. But his reflections, no doubt, were