Page:Soldiers Three - Kipling (1890).djvu/49

 Stay wid me, Mister Mulvaney!' sez she; 'you're flesh an' blood, at the least—are ye not?'

I'm all that,' sez I, an' my anger wint away in a flash. 'Will I want to be asked twice, Annie?'

"Wid that I slipped my arm round her waist, for, begad, I fancied she had surrindered at discretion, an' the honours av war were mine.

Fwhat nonsinse is this?' sez she, dhrawin' hersilf up on the tips av her dear little toes. 'Wid the mother's milk not dhry on your impident mouth! Let go!' she sez.

Did ye not say just now that I was flesh and blood?' sez I. 'I have not changed since,' I sez; an' I kep' my arm where ut was.

Your arms to yoursilf!' sez she, an' her eyes sparkild.

Sure, 'tis only human nature,' sez I; an' I kep' my arm where ut was.

Nature or no nature,' sez she, 'you take your arm away or I'll tell Bragin, an' he'll alter the nature av your head. Fwhat d'you take me for?' she sez.

A woman,' sez I; 'the prettiest in barricks.'

A wife,' sez she; 'the straightest in cantonmints!'

"Wid that I dropped my arm, fell back tu paces, an' saluted, for I saw that she mint fwhat she said."

"Then you know something that some men would give a good deal to be certain of. How could you tell?" I demanded in the interests of Science.

Watch the hand,' said Mulvaney; 'av she shuts her hand tight, thumb down over the knuckle, take up your hat an' go. You'll only make a fool av yoursilf av you shtay. But av the hand lies opin on the lap, or av you see her thryin' to shut ut an' she can't,—go on! She's not past reasonin' wid.'

"Well, as I was sayin' I fell back, saluted, an' was goin' away.

Shtay wid me,' she sez. 'Look! He's comin' again.'

"She pointed to the verandah, an', by the Hoight av Im-