Wine would be safe with
them, for they can get that anywhere, but it would be too much for the
honesty of any Irishman if he were to see a cask labelled Irish whisky."
A week later Colonel Corcoran said when Terence rode in:
"By the bye, O'Connor, there is a cask of wine for you at my quarters; it
was brought up by an ammunition train this morning. The officer said that
a Portuguese colonel had begged him so earnestly to bring it up that he
could not refuse."
"It was Herrara, no doubt, Colonel; he has gone down to Lisbon for a
week."
"Ah! I suppose he sent you a keg of choice wine."
"You shall taste it next time you come out, Colonel. I have been wishing
that I had something better than the ordinary wine of the country to offer
when you come over to see me. I will send over a couple of men with a cart
in the morning to bring it out to me."
On leaving that evening Terence invited all the officers who could get
away from duty to come over to lunch the next day.
"Bring your knives and forks with you," he said; "and I think you had
better bring your plates, too; I fancy four are all I can muster."
Early next morning Terence told Bull and Macwitty that he expected a dozen
officers out to lunch with him. "And I want you to lunch with me too. I
know that Captain O'Grady and others have asked you several times to go in
and dine at mess, and that you have not gone.
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