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Page 42
"We will have the Monongahela and the pipe, for truly I
feel that I require something to soothe, if not absolutely
to exhilarate me; but no sleep for me this night. Elmsley,"
he added, more seriously, "you will pass me out of the gate?"
"Pass you out of what?" exclaimed the other, starting
from the chair on which he had thrown himself only the
moment before. "What do you mean, man?"
"I mean that, as officer of the guard, you alone can pass
me through after dark, and this service you must render me."
"Why! where are you going? Single-handed like Jack the
Giant Killer to deliver, not a beautiful damsel from the
fangs of a winged monster, but a tough old backwoodsman
from the dark paws of the savage?"
"Elmsley," again urged the ensign, "you forget that Mr.
Heywood is the father of my future wife."
"Ah! is it come to that at last. Well, I am right glad
of it. But, my dear Ronayne," taking and cordially pressing
his hand, "forgive my levity. I only sought to divert
you from your purpose. What I can do for you, I will do;
but tell me what it is you intend."
"Yet, Elmsley, before we enter further into the matter,
do you not think that you will incur the serious displeasure
of Military Prudence?"
"If he discovers that you are gone, certainly; and I
cannot see how it can be otherwise; he will be in the
fidgets all night, and probably ask for you; but even if
not THEN, he will miss you on parade in the morning."
"And what will be the consequence to you? Answer me
candidly, I entreat."
"Then, candidly, Ronayne, the captain likes me not well
enough to pass lightly over such a breach of duty. The
most peremptory orders have, since the arrival of this
startling news, been given not to allow any one to leave
the fort, and (since you wish me to be sincere) should
I allow you to pass, it will go hard with my commission."
"How foolish of me not to have thought of that before!
How utterly stupid to ask that which I ought to have
known myself; but enough, Elmsley. I abandon the scheme
altogether. You shall never incur that risk for me."
"Yet understand me," resumed the other, "if you really
think that there is a hope of its proving more than a
mere wild goose chase, I will cheerfully incur that risk;
but on my honor, Ronayne, I myself feel convinced that
nothing you can do will avail."
"Not another word on the subject," answered his friend;
"here is what will banish all care, at least for the
present."
His servant had just entered, and deposited on the
mess-table hot and cold water, sugar, lime-juice, pipes,
tobacco, and tumblers; when the two officers with Von
Vottenberg who had just come in from visiting Mr. Heywood,
sat down to indulge their social humors. Whilst the
latter, according to custom, mixed the punch, which when
made was pronounced to be his chef d'oeuvre, Elmsley
amused himself with cutting up the tobacco, and filling
the pipes. The ensign, taking advantage of their occupation,
indulged himself in a reverie that lasted until the
beverage had been declared ready.
The presence of the doctor, acting as a check upon the
further allusion by the friends to the topic that had
hitherto engrossed their attention, the little conversation
that ensued was of a general nature, neither of them,
however, cared much to contribute to it, so that the
doctor found and pronounced them for that evening anything
but entertaining companions. He, however, consoled himself
with copious potations from the punch-bowl, and filled
the room with dense clouds of smoke, that were in
themselves, sufficient to produce the drowsiness that
Ronayne pleaded in excuse of his taciturnity.
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