“’S norrevery day we meet a brother-in-arms whose norronly fortunate, but willing ... share ’sfortune. The wine, madam! And of your best.”
“Well said, old dog of war!” Nat approved him, whereupon the twain abandoned themselves to uproarious laughter.
The wine was brought, and the facetious pair swilled it greedily, whereafter they praised it, with rolling of eyes and resounding lip-smackings; they even subdued their raillery of the provider of this nectar. When he proposed a second pint, they actually grew solemn; and when after that he called for a third, they were almost prepared to treat him with respect.
There was a vacuousness in the eyes with which he pondered them, swaying never so slightly on his three-legged stool.
“Why ... you stare at me like tha’?” he challenged them.
They looked up from the replenished but as yet untasted measures. His manner became suddenly stern. “P’raps you think I haven’t ... money ... pay for all this swill?”
An awful dread assailed them both. He seemed to read it in their glances.
“Why, you rogues, d’ye dare ... doubt ... gen’l’man? D’ye think gen’l’man calls for wine, and can’t pay? Here’s to put your lousy minds at rest.”
Violently he pulled a hand from his pocket, and violently he flung it forward under their noses, opening it as he did so. Gold leapt from it, a half-dozen pieces that rolled and rang upon greasy table and greasier floor.
In a flash, instinctively, the pair dived after them, and grovelled there on hands and knees about the table’s legs, hunting the scattered coins. When at length they came up again, each obsequiously placed two pieces before the Colonel.