To this the captain made no reply, but grated his teeth, in a way that showed the fortress of his mouth was not to be assailed without a resolute resistance; and the experienced physician changed the subject by saying,—
“It is a pity, John, that you did not catch the rascal, after the danger and trouble you incurred.”
The captain of dragoons made no reply; and, while placing some bandages on the wounded shoulder, the surgeon continued,—
“If I have any wish at all to destroy human life, it is to have the pleasure of seeing that traitor hanged.”
“I thought your business was to cure, and not to slay,” said the trooper, dryly.
“Aye! but he has caused us such heavy losses by his information, that I sometimes feel a very unsophistical temper towards that spy.”
“You should not encourage such feelings of animosity to any of your fellow creatures,” returned Lawton, in a tone that caused the operator to drop a pin he was arranging in the bandages from his hand. He looked the patient in the face to remove all doubts of his identity; finding, however, it was his old comrade, Captain John Lawton, who had spoken, he rallied his astonished faculties, and proceeded by saying,—
“Your doctrine is just, and in general I subscribe to it. But, John, my dear fellow, is the bandage easy?”
“Quite.”
“I agree with you as a whole; but as matter is infinitely divisible, so no case exists without an exception. Lawton, do you feel easy?”