"You'll occupy the station assigned to you, my man," said Mr. Bennett,
with an admirable burlesque of the military manner. "The front is
wherever a soldier is ordered to be--a fine saying of Lord Kitchener's!
Remember it, Sergeant!"
"Yes, sir," said the Sergeant, grinning still.
He found Mr. Bennett on the whole amusing company, though occasionally
rather alarming; for instance, there seemed to him to be no particular
reason for dragging in Neddy's predilection for murder; though, of
course, a man of his inches and weight might commit murder through some
trifling and pardonable miscalculation of force. "Same as if that Captain
Naylor hit you!" the Sergeant reflected, as he finished the ample portion
of rum with which the conversation had been lightened. He felt pleasantly
muzzy, and saw Mr. Bennett's cleancut features rather blurred in
outline. However, the sandy wig and red mustache which that gentleman
wore--in his character as a Boxing Day excursionist--were still salient
features even to his eyes. Anybody in the room would have been able to
swear to them.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158