own pipe the friendly flame to his comrade's; "tell you what--talk
nonsense; the commander-in-chief's no Martinet--if we're all right in
action, he'll wink at a slip word or two. Come, no humbug--hold jaw.
D'ye think God would sooner have snivelling fellow like you in his
regiment, than a man like me, clean limbed, straight as a dart, six feet
one without his shoes!--baugh!"

This notion of the Corporal's, by which he would have likened the
dominion of Heaven to the King of Prussia's body-guard, and only
admitted the elect on account of their inches, so tickled mine host's
fancy, that he leaned back in his chair, and indulged in a long, dry,
obstreperous cachinnation. This irreverence mightily displeased the
Corporal. He looked at the little man very sourly, and said in his least
smooth accentuation:--

"What--devil--cackling at?--always grin, grin, grin--giggle, giggle,
giggle--psha!"

"Why really, neighbour," said Peter, composing himself, "you must let a
man laugh now and then."

"Man!" said the Corporal; "man's a noble animal! Man's a musquet,
primed, loaded, ready to supply a friend or kill a foe--charge not to be
wasted on every tom-tit. But you! not a musquet, but a cracker! noisy,
harmless,--can't touch you, but off you go, whizz, pop, bang in one's
face!--baugh!"

"Well!" said the good-humoured landlord, "I should think Master Aram,
the great scholar who lives down the vale yonder, a man quite after
your own heart. He is grave enough to suit you. He does not laugh very
easily, I fancy."

"After my heart? Stoops like a bow!"

"Indeed he does look on the ground as he walks; when I think, I do the
same. But what a marvellous man it is! I hear, that he reads the Psalms
in Hebrew. He's very affable and meek-like for such a scholard."

"Tell you what. Seen the world, Master Dealtry, and know a thing or two.
Your shy dog is always a deep one. Give me a man who looks me in the
face as he would a cannon!"

"Or a lass," said Peter knowingly.

The grim Corporal smiled.

"Talking of lasses," said the soldier, re-filling his pipe, "what
creature Miss Lester is! Such eyes!--such nose! Fit for a colonel, by
God! ay, or a major-general!"

"For my part, I think Miss Ellinor almost as handsome; not so
grand-like, but more lovesome!"

"Nice little thing!" said the Corporal, condescendingly. "But, zooks!
whom have we here?"

This last question was applied to a man who was slowly turning from
the road towards t