This train of thought, however, was dissipated by the appearance of Mr. Mainwaring, who had returned from his stroll, and came out to seek for them, accompanied by a young officer of very elegant and gentlemanly appearance, whom he introduced as Captain Roberts, of the 33d, then quartered in Dublin.

As an apology for the fact of Mr. Mainwaring having introduced a stranger to Lucy, under circumstances where privacy was so desirable, it may be necessary to say here, that Mrs. Mainwaring, out of delicacy to Lucy, forbore to acquaint him even with a hint at the cause of her visit, so far as Lucy, on the morning of her arrival, had hastily and briefly communicated it to her.  This she was resolved not to do without her express permission.

“Allow me, ladies, to present to you my friend, Captain Roberts, of the 33d—­or, as another older friend of mine, his excellent father, terms it, the three times eleven—­by the way, not a bad paraphrase, and worthy of a retired school-master like myself.  It is turning the multiplication table into a vocabulary and making it perform military duty.”

After the usual formalities had been gone through, Mr. Mainwaring, who was in peculiarly excellent spirits, proceeded: 

“Of course you know, every officer when introduced or travelling is a captain—­CAPTAIN—­a good travelling name!—­Vide the play-books, passim.  My young friend, however, is at the present—­you remember as in pasenti, Edward—­only an ensign, but, please God, old as some of us are, Mrs. M. to wit—­ahem! we will live to shake hands with him as captain yet.”

“You mean, of course, my dear,” said his wife, “that I will live to do so; the youngest, as the proverb has it, lives longest.  No man, Mr. Roberts, will more regret the improbability of verifying his own wishes than Mr. Mainwaring.”

“Ah, Martha! you’re always too hard for me,” he replied, laughing.  “But you must know that this young officer, of whom I feel so proud, is an old pupil of mine, and received his education at my feet.  I consequently feel a more than usual interest in him.  But come, we lose-time.  It is now past two o’clock, and, if I don’t mistake, there’s a bit of cold ham and chicken to be had, and my walk has prepared me for lunch, as it usually does, and besides, Martha, there’s an old friend of mine, his father, waiting for our return, to whom I must introduce you both, ladies, as a sample of the fine old soldier, who is a capital version of human nature.”

On reaching the cottage they found our worthy friend, old Sam Roberts, in the garden, throwing crumbs of bread to a busy little flock of sparrows, behind one of the back windows that opened into it.  His honest but manly face was lit up with all the eager and boisterous enjoyment of a child whilst observing with simple delight the fierce and angry quarrels of the parents, as they fought on behalf of their young, for the good things so providentially cast in their way.