"That was me, sure enough, Colonel."
"And what were you doing there? Tell us, like a good boy."
"Absurd as it may appear, and, indeed, absurd as it is, I am in command of those two regiments."
Again a burst of incredulous laughter arose. Terence took out his commission and handed it to the colonel.
"Perhaps, Colonel, if you will be kind enough to read that out loud, my assurance will be believed."
"Faith, it was not your assurance that we doubted, Terence, me boy!" O'Grady exclaimed. "You have plenty of assurance, and to spare; it is the statement that we were doubting."
The colonel glanced down the document, and his face assumed an expression of extreme surprise.
"Gentlemen," he said, rising, "if you will endeavour to keep silence for a minute, I will read this document."
The surprise on his own face was repeated on the faces of all those present, as he proceeded with his reading. O'Grady was the first to break the silence.
"In the name of St. Peter," he said, "what does it all mean? Are you sure that it is a genuine document, Colonel? Terence is capable of anything by way of a joke."