Page:The Story of the Gadsbys - Kipling (1888).djvu/27

 Tack Sahib" because I showed her my watch. And that was in 'Sixty—Seven or 'Seventy. Good God, how time flies! I'm an old man. I remember when Threegan married Miss Derwent—daughter of old Hooky Derwent—but that was before your time. And so the little baby's engaged to have a little baby of her own! Who's the other fool?

—Gadsby of the Pink Hussars.

—'Never met him. Threegan lived in debt, married in debt, and 'll die in debt. 'Must be glad to get the girl off his hands.

—Gaddy has money—lucky devil. Place at home, too.

—He comes of first-class stock. 'Can't quite understand his being caught by a Colonel's daughter, and (looking cautiously round room.) Black Infantry at that! No offence to you, Blayne.

(stiffly).—Not much, tha-anks.

(quoting motto of Irregular Moguls).—"We are what we are," eh, old man? But Gaddy was such a superior animal as a rule. Why didn't he go home and pick his wife there?

—They are all alike when they come to the turn into the straight. About thirty a man begins to get sick of living alone—

—And of the eternal mutton-chop in the morning.

—It's a dead goat as a rule, but go on, Mackesy.

—If a man's once taken that way nothing will hold him. Do you remember Benoit of your service, Doone? They transferred him to Tharanda when his time came, and he married a platelayer's daughter or something of that kind. She was the only female about the place.

—Yes, poor brute. That smashed Benoit's chances of promotion altogether. Mrs. Benoit used to ask:—"Was you goin' to the dance this evenin'?"

—Hang it all! Gaddy hasn't married beneath him. There's no dark blood in the family, I suppose.