I, for my part, can bear, without wincing, both ill luck and wine; hence my advantage over him was considerable in our bouts, and I won enough money from him to make my position tenable.

He had a wife outside (who, I take it, was the cause of his misfortunes and separation from his family), and she used to be admitted to see him twice or thrice a week, and never came empty-handed---a little brown bright-eyed creature, whose ogles had made the greatest impression upon all the world.
This man was drafted into a regiment that was quartered at Neiss in Silesia, which is only at a short distance from the Austrian frontier; he maintained always the same character for daring and skill, and was, in the secret republic of the regiment--which always exists as well as the regular military hierarchy--the acknowledged leader.

He was an admirable soldier, as I have said; but haughty, dissolute, and a drunkard.

A man of this mark, unless he takes care to coax and flatter his officers (which I always did), is sure to fall out with them.

Le Blondin's captain was his sworn enemy, and his punishments were frequent and severe.
His wife and the women of the regiment (this was after the peace) used to carry on a little commerce of smuggling across the Austrian frontier, where their dealings were winked at by both parties; and in obedience to the instructions of her husband, this woman, from every one of her excursions, would bring in a little powder and ball: commodities which are not to be procured by the Prussian soldier, and which were stowed away in secret till wanted.