I hope the authorities will send me straight on board
ship when I get to Lisbon; my servant will go down with me. If I am kept
there, he will of course stay with me until I sail; if not, he will rejoin
as soon as he has seen me on board. He is a good servant, and I can
recommend him to you; he is rather fond of the bottle, but that is his
only fault as far as I know. He is a countryman of yours, and you will be
able to make allowances for his failing," he added, with a laugh.
There was no time to be lost--the bugles were sounding--so, with a brief
adieu, Terence went out, mounted the horse and rode after the general, who
had just left with his staff, and taken his place at the head of the
column. As he passed his regiment, he stopped for a moment to speak to the
colonel.
"I heard that you were wanted by the general, Terence," the latter said,
"and I congratulate you on your appointment. I am sorry that you are
leaving us, but, as you will be with the brigade, we shall often see you.
O'Driscol is as savage as a bull at the loss of one of his subalterns.
Well, it is your own luck that you have and another's; drop in this
evening, if you can, and tell us how it was that Fane came to pick you
out."
"It was thanks to you, Colonel. If you remember, you told us at Vigo that
Fane was on board when you went to make your report, and that he and Sir
Arthur's adjutant-general read it over together, and asked you a good many
questions.
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