Puddock and he had not gone half-way down the short avenue, when Cluffe said, with a sheepish smile: 

’Miss Rebecca Chattesworth dropped something in her talk with you, Puddock, I see that plain enough, my dear fellow, which the general has no objection I should hear, and, hang it, I don’t see any myself.  I say, I may as well hear it, eh?  I venture to say there’s no great harm in it.’

At first Puddock was reserved, but recollecting that he had been left quite free to tell whom he pleased, he made up his mind to unbosom; and suggested, for the sake of quiet and a longer conversation, that they should go round by the ferry.

’No, I thank you, I’ve had enough of that; we can walk along as quietly as you like, and turn a little back again if need be.’

So slowly, side by side, the brother-officers paced toward the bridge; and little Puddock, with a serious countenance and blushing cheeks, and looking straight before him, made his astounding disclosure.

Puddock told things in a very simple and intelligible way, and Cluffe heard him in total silence; and just as he related the crowning fact, that he, the lieutenant, was about to marry Miss Rebecca Chattesworth, having reached the milestone by the footpath, Captain Cluffe raised his foot thereupon, without a word to Puddock, and began tugging at the strap of his legging, with a dismal red grin, and a few spluttering curses at the artificer of the article.

’And the lady has had the condescension to say that she has liked me for at least two years.’

‘And she hating you like poison, to my certain knowledge,’ laughed Captain Cluffe, very angrily, and swallowing down his feelings.  So they walked on a little way in silence, and Cluffe, who, with his face very red, and his mouth a good deal expanded, and down in the corners, was looking steadfastly forward, exclaimed suddenly,—­

‘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?’