'It's a good man's case,' said I, 'to take a little too much, though it's what I don't ever do myself; so, take a hold of my hand, and I'll see you safe.' I stretched out my hand, and got him, not by the arm, as I hoped, but by the hair of the head, for he was all dripping with wet, and had lost his hat.

'Well, you'll not be better of this night's excursion,' thought I, 'if ye are liable to the rheumatism; and, now, whereabouts do you live, my friend, for I'll see you safe, before I leave you ?' What he said then I never could clearly make out, for the wind and rain were both beating so hard against my face that I could not hear a word; however, I was able just to perceive that he was very much disguised in drink, and spoke rather thick.

'Well, never mind,' said I, 'it's not a time of day for much conversation; so, come along, and I'll see you safe in the guard-house, if you can't remember your own place of abode in the meanwhile.' It was just at the moment I said this that I first discovered he was not a gentleman.

Well, now, you'd never guess how I did it; and, faith I always thought it a very cute thing of me, and both of us in the dark." "Well, I really confess it must have been a very difficult thing, under the circumstances; pray how did you contrive ?" said the major.
"Just guess how." "By the tone of his voice perhaps, and his accent," said Curzon.
"Devil a bit, for he spoke remarkably well, considering how far gone he was in liquor." "Well, probably by the touch of his hand; no bad test." "No; you're wrong again, for it was by the hair I had a hold of him for fear of falling, for he was always stooping down.

Well, you'd never guess it; it was just by the touch of his foot." "His foot! Why how did that give you any information ?" "There it is now; that's just what only an Irishman would ever have made any thing out of; for while he was stumbling about, he happened to tread upon my toes, and never, since I was born, did I feel any thing like the weight of him.