"'Tain't a free country at all," said the Briton to the outer landscape. "There's hardly a corner in Europe but's freer."
"Ireland, for instance," sneered John.
"Ireland be damned," responded the foreigner, still still looking out the window. "Go tell your nurse to give you some bread and butter."
John leaped and swept the air with his open palm. Gamble's clutch half arrested it in front, Shotwell hindered it from behind, neither quite stopped it.
"Did he slap him?" eagerly asked a dozen men standing on the seats.
"He barely touched him," was the disappointed reply of one.
"Thank the Lawd faw evm that little!" responded another.
Shotwell pulled March away, Halliday following. Near the rear door——
"Johnnie," began the General, with an air of complete digression, but at the woebegone look that came into the young man's face, the old soldier burst into a laugh. John whisked around to the door and stood looking out, though seeing nothing, bitter in the thought that not for the Englishman's own sake, but for the sake of the British capital coveted by Suez, a gentleman and a Rosemonter was forbidden to pay him the price of his insolence.
"I'd like to pass," presently said someone behind him. He started, and Gamble went by.