But here come our fellows." As he spoke, the door opened, and three officers of his staff entered, to whom, being severally introduced, we chatted away about the news of the morning until breakfast.
"I've frequently heard of you from my friend Hammersley," said Captain Fitzroy, addressing me.

"You were intimately acquainted, I believe ?" "Oh, yes! Pray, where is he now?
We have not met for a long time." "The poor fellow's invalided; that sabre-cut upon his head has turned out a sad affair, and he's gone back to England on a sick leave.

Old Dashwood took him back with him as private secretary, or something of that sort." "Ah!" said another, "Dashwood has daughters, hasn't he?
No bad notion of his; for Hammersley will be a baronet some of these days, with a rent-roll of eight or nine thousand per annum." "Sir George Dashwood," said I, "has but one daughter, and I am quite sure that in his kindness to Hammersley no intentions of the kind you mention were mixed up." "Well, I don't know," said the third, a pale, sickly youth, with handsome but delicate features.

"I was on Dashwood's staff until a few weeks ago, and certainly I thought there was something going on between Hammersley and Miss Lucy, who, be it spoken, is a devilish fine girl, though rather disposed to give herself airs." I felt my cheek and my temples boiling like a furnace; my hand trembled as I lifted my coffee to my lips; and I would have given my expected promotion twice over to have had any reasonable ground of quarrel with the speaker.
"Egad, lads," said Crawfurd, "that's the very best thing I know about a command.

As a bishop is always sure to portion off his daughters with deaneries and rectories, so your knowing old general always marries his among his staff." This sally was met with the ready laughter of the subordinates, in which, however little disposed.