“Yes, yes, sir; and what—what did Sir Granby say to that?”
“Said he was very sorry and very glad.”
“What?”
“Sorry to leave you, because it didn’t seem natural to go back to the regiment without his right-hand man.”
“Right-hand man?”
“Yes; but he was glad my mother felt so about you, for he could go away more contented now, and satisfied that all would be right. For though—ahem!—he had the fullest confidence in me, I was too young to have the management of men.”
“Wrong, wrong, sir—wrong. On’y want a bit o’ training, and you’d make as good a captain as ever stepped.—Then it was her ladyship’s doing, and she said all that?”
“Yes.”
“God bless her! my dear mistress. Here, don’t you take no notice o’ this here,” cried the rough fellow, changing his tone, and undisguisedly wiping the salt tears from his face. “I don’t work so much as I ought, sir, and this here’s only what you calls presperashum, sir, as collects, and will come out somewheres. And so her ladyship says that, did her?”
“Yes, Ben.”