It was a sensible provision, and Miss Di said, 'a corkscrew
and a pocket-pistol were better suited to him than a rifle,' and every
one said it was a capital joke that--for everybody likes a shot that
don't hit themselves.
"'How tough the goose is!' sais G soft. 'I can't carve it.'
"'Ah!' sais Di, 'when Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war.'
"Eating and talking lasts a good while, but they don't last for ever.
The ladies leave the gentlemen to commence their smoking and finish
their drinking, and presently there is a loud laugh; it's more than a
laugh, it's a roar; and the ladies turn round and wonder.
"Letty sais, 'When the wine is in, the wit is out.'
"'True," sais Di, 'the wine is there, but when you left them the wit
went out.'
"'Rather severe,' said Letty.
"'Not at all,' sais Di, 'for I was with you.'
"It is the last shot of poor Di. She won't take the trouble to talk
well for ladies, and those horrid Mudges have a party on purpose to
take away all the pleasant men. She never passed so stupid a day. She
hates pic-nics, and will never go to one again. De la Cour is a fool,
and is as full of airs as a night-hawk is of feathers. Pistol is a
bore; Target is both poor and stingy; Trigger thinks more of himself
than anybody else; and as for G soft, he is a goose. She will never
speak to Pippen again for not coming. They are a poor set of devils in
the garrison; she is glad they are to have a new regiment.
Pages:
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364