The House by the Church-Yard

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

'Well?'

'I see, Cluffe,' said Puddock; 'you don't think it prudent—you think we mayn't be happy?'

'Prudent,' laughed Cluffe, with a variety of unpleasant meanings; and after a while—'And the general knows of it?'

'And approves it most kindly,' said Puddock.

'What else can he do?' sneered Cluffe; ''tis a precious fancy—they are such cheats! Why you might be almost her grand-son, my dear Puddock, ha, ha, ha. 'Tis preposterous; you're sixteen years younger than I.'

'If you can't congratulate me, 'twould be kinder not to say anything, Captain Cluffe; and nobody must speak in my presence of that lady but with proper respect; and I—I thought, Cluffe, you'd have wished me well, and shaken hands and said something—something—'

'Oh, as for that,' said Cluffe, swallowing down his emotions again, and shaking hands with Puddock rather clumsily, and trying to smile, 'I wish you well, Heaven knows—everything good; why shouldn't I, by George? You know, Puddock, 'twas I who brought you together. And—and—am I at liberty to mention it?'

Puddock thought it better the news should be proclaimed from Belmont.

'Well, so I think myself,' said Cluffe, and relapsed into silence till they parted, at the corner of the broad street of Chapelizod and Cluffe walked at an astounding pace on to his lodgings.

'Here's Captain Cluffe,' said Mrs. Mason, to a plump youth, who had just made the journey from London, and was standing with the driver of a low-backed car, and saluted the captain, who was stalking in without taking any notice.