hind his pipe, an' Dinah ran away to her own room. That day I
throd on rollin' clouds. All earth was too small to hould me. Begad,
I cud ha' picked the sun out av the sky for a live coal to me pipe, so
magnificent I was. But I tuk recruities at squad-drill, an' began with
general battalion advance whin I shud ha' been balance-steppin' 'em.
Eyah! that day! that day!"

A very long pause. "Well?" said I.

"It was all wrong," said Mulvaney, with an enormous sigh. "An' sure I
know that ev'ry bit av ut was me own foolishness. That night I tuk
maybe the half av three pints--not enough to turn the hair of a man in
his natural sinses. But I was more than half dhrunk wid pure joy, an'
that canteen beer was so much whisky to me. I can't tell how ut came
about, but bekase I had no thought for any wan except Dinah, bekase I
hadn't slipped her little white arms from me neck five minutes, bekase
the breath av her kiss was not gone from my mouth, I must go through
the married lines on me way to quarthers, an' I must stay talkin' to a
red-headed Mullengar heifer av a girl, Judy Sheehy, that was daughter
to Mother Sheehy, the wife av Nick Sheehy, the canteen sergint--the
black curse av Shielygh be on the whole brood that are above groun'
this day!

"'An' what are ye houldin' your head that high for, corp'ril?' sez
Judy. 'Come in an' thry a cup av tay,' she sez, standin' in the
doorway.

"Bein' an onbustable fool, an' thinkin' av anythin' but tay, I wint."

"'Mother's at canteen,' sez Judy, smoothin' the hair av hers that was
like red snakes, an' lookin' at me corner-ways out av her green cat's
eyes. 'Ye will not mind, corp'ril?'

"'I can endure,' sez I. 'Ould Mother Sheehy bein' no divarsion av
mine, nor her daughter too.' Judy fetched the tea-things an' put thim
on the table, leanin' over me very close to get them square. I dhrew
back, thinkin' of Dinah.

"'Is ut afraid you are av a girl alone?' sez Judy.

"'No,' sez I. 'Why should I be?'

"'That rests wid the girl,' sez Judy, dhrawin' her chair next to mine.

"'Thin there let ut rest,' sez I; an' thinkin' I'd been a trifle
onpolite, I sez, 'The tay's not quite sweet enough for me taste. Put
your little finger in the cup, Judy; 'twill make ut nechthar.'

"'What's necthar?' sez she.

"'Somethin' very sweet,' sez I; an' for the sinful life av me I cud not
help lookin' at her out av the corner av my eye, as I was used to look
at a woman.

"'Go on wid ye, co