Crawfurd grew dark-purple over his whole face and forehead, and looked from one to the other of us without speaking; while the Honorable Horace Delawar, the individual addressed, never changed a muscle of his wan and sickly features, but lifting his eyes slowly from his muffin, lisped softly out,-- "You think so?
How very good!" "General Crawfurd," said I, the moment I could collect myself sufficiently to speak, "I am deeply grieved that I should so far have forgotten myself as to disturb the harmony of your table; but when I tell you that Sir George Dashwood is one of my warmest friends on earth; that from my intimate knowledge of him, I am certain that gentleman's statements are either the mere outpourings of folly or worse--" "By Jove, O'Malley! you have a very singular mode of explaining away the matter.

Delawar, sit down again.

Gentlemen, I have only one word to say about this transaction; I'll have no squabbles nor broils here; from this room to the guard-house is a five minutes' walk.

Promise me, upon your honors, this altercation ends here, or as sure as my name's Crawfurd, you shall both be placed under arrest, and the man who refuses to obey me shall be sent back to England." Before I well knew in what way to proceed, Mr.Delawar rose and bowed formally to the general, while I imitated his example; silently we resumed our places, and after a pause of a few moments, the current of conversation was renewed, and other topics discussed, but with such evident awkwardness and constraint that all parties felt relieved when the general rose from table.
"I say, O'Malley, have you forwarded the returns to the adjutant-general's office ?" "Yes, sir; I despatched them this morning before leaving my quarters." "I am glad of it; the irregularities on this score have called forth a heavy reprimand at headquarters." I was also glad of it, and it chanced that by mere accident I remembered to charge Mike with the papers, which, had they not been lying unsealed upon the table before me, would, in all likelihood, have escaped my attention.
The post started to Lisbon that same morning, to take advantage of which I had sat up writing for half the night.

Little was I aware at the moment what a mass of trouble and annoyance was in store for me from the circumstance..