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Though Cluffe was occasionally swayed by the angry passions, he was, on the whole, in his own small way, a long-headed fellow.
'You see, Sir, at that time, our Colonel-in-Chief was my Lord Blackwater, continued the old soldier, 'not that we often seen him, for he lived in France mostly; the Colonel-en-Second was General Chattesworth, and Colonel Stafford was Lieutenant-Colonel, and under him Major O'Neill; Captains, four Cluffe, Devereux, Barton, and Burgh: First Lieutenants Puddock, Delany, Sackville, and Armstrong; Second Lieutenants Salt; Barber, Lillyman, and Pringle; Lieutenant Fireworkers O'Flaherty
Cluffe was soon of opinion that he was in absolute possession of his own secret, and resolved to keep it effectually. He hinted that very evening at mess, and afterwards at the club, that he had been managing a very nice and delicate bit of diplomacy which not a soul of them suspected, at Belmont; and that by George, he thought they'd stare when they heard it.
As Dangerfield passed Captain Cluffe's lodgings, he heard the gay tinkle of a guitar, and an amorous duet, not altogether untunefully sung to that accompaniment; and he beheld little Lieutenant Puddock's back, with a broad scarlet and gold ribbon across it, supporting the instrument on which he was industriously thrumming, at the window, while Cluffe, who was emitting a high note, with all the tenderness he could throw into his robust countenance, and one of those involuntary distortions which in amateurs will sometimes accompany a vocal effort, caught the eye of the cynical wayfarer, and stopped short with a disconcerted little cough and a shake of his chops, and a grim, rather red nod, and 'Good-morning, Mr.
Cluffe never married, but grew confoundedly corpulent by degrees, and suffered plaguily from gout; but was always well dressed, and courageously buckled in, and, I dare say, two inches less in girth, thanks to the application of mechanics, than nature would have presented him.
'Hallo! are you safe, Cluffe? cried the little lieutenant, quite firm, though a little dizzy, on his narrow stand, with the sheets of foam whizzing under his feet; what had become of his musical companion he had not the faintest notion, and when he saw the boat hurled over near the sluice, and drive along the stream upside down, he nearly despaired.
'Sauce, indeed! said Puddock, with an indignant lisp, as Cluffe, having joined them, they set forward together; 'I saw some of them going in, Sir, and to look at their vulgar, unthinking countenances, you'd say they had not capacity to distinguish between the taste of a quail and a goose; but, by Jove! Sir, they have a dinner. You're a politician, Cluffe, and read the papers.
Just a just think for a minute. 'I don't care who, said Nutter, with dry ferocity, 'so he can load a pistol. 'Tom Forsythe would have done capitally, if he was at home, said one. 'But he's not, remarked Cluffe. 'Well, said Toole, getting close up to Devereux, in a coaxing undertone, 'suppose we try Loftus. 'Dan Loftus! ejaculated Devereux.
'Hold on, Sir; hold on, you little devil, I say, one minute, here hold hollo! While Cluffe was shouting these words, and scrambling forward, Puddock was crying 'Curth it, Cluffe, quick oh! hang it, I can't thtand it bleth my thoul! And Puddock let go, and the boat and its precious freightage, with a horrid whisk and a sweep, commenced its seaward career in the dark.
He had a shake of the hand and a fashionable greeting from stout, dandified Captain Cluffe, who was by no means so young as he would be supposed, and made up industriously and braced what he called his waist, with great fortitude, and indeed sometimes looked half-stifled, in spite of his smile and his swagger.
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