Greenway Court; or, The Bloody Ground, No. XVI-XXII [pp. 419-436]

Gqeenway Coturt; or, the Bloody Ground.
And the Captain dug his spurs into the
huge sides of the snorting animal, and
went onward like a moving mountain.
He soon reached Mr. Argal's,-dis
mounted-and entered. It was a plain
and rudely constructed house, with few
comforts about it, and scarcely discernible
at the distance of fifty yards, so dense was
the growth of the clump of trees in which
it stood.
The Captain was met on the threshold
by Mr. Argal, who politely welcomed him
and led him into the house, where dinner
was being placed upon the table. The
Captain snuffed up the rich odour of the
repast, plain as it was, and a mild expression diffused itself over his martial
countenance. Dinner must have been
invented by the earliest inhabitants of
the globe, Captain Wagner often said,
and he hailed it as one of the greatest discoveries which had ever adorned science.
To say the truth, the soldier had an
equally exalted opinion of the individual,
or individuals, who discovered breakfast,
supper, intermediate meals, and all descriptions of eating.
After satisfying himself that his material wants would be amply supplied,
Captain Wagner looked around him to
see where Falconbridge could be-as to
Miss Argal, he never felt a very great
anxiety to see her: for which the honest
Captain, probably, had good reason. They
were neither of them visible, but soon
made their appearance, the arm of the
young girl gently resting upon that of
her companion, and her bright eyes turned
to him. Falconbridge grasped the hand
of the Captain with hearty pleasure, and
declared himself delighted to see him: to
which the Captain replied in the same
tone. Then, after some conversation, the
party sat down to dinner. The Captain
eat with great gusto, and emptied mere
than one fair cup of wine, or-more accurately speaking-Jamaica rum. In those
days wines were not much affected, especially upon the border-the mellow
rum of Jamaica was the favorite beverage; and, as we have said, this was Captain Wagner's chosen drink.
At the termination of the repast, and
when all rose and walked out in the fine
" He's in love!"
"Is he?"
"Dead in love! What a foolish fellow!"
"Hem!" said Mrs. Butterton, gently
and with a dangerous look, "do you think
that is very foolish Captain?"
" It would not be in your case, beautiful and-"
"Oh, Captain!"
"May the!-well that's wrong: but I
will maintain, with fire and sword, the
good sense of the individual who falls in
love with you!-that is," added the Captain, guardedly, " I will cut the throats
of all persons, or individuals, who presume to do anything of the sort."
With which somewhat inconsistent
declaration, and a martial ogle, Captain
Wagner again kissed the hand he held
in his huge paw, pushed up his black
mustache with his finger, as was habitual
with him, and issuing forth, mounted
his horse and took his way toward Mr.
Argal's.
" Falcon bridge! —Madam Bertha!"
muttered the soldier, gloomily, as he went
onward, " infatuated! Really, nothing
is more astonishing than this passion, or
indeed, madness, as one may call it,
which invades a man's heart when his
locks are still black, his mustache untouched by grey. But this is not an ininfallible test, since I, myself, am not at
all grey. But then, I, myself," continued the Captain, philosophically carrying on a logical fencing with himself
as with another person, " I, myself, possibly, am in love. In love! what romance
and folly and all that! Still the fair
lady yonder is not unworthy of the affection of a soldier and a man of intelligence:-a good, sensible, fair, wealthy,
and very engaging widow? If that don't
satisfy an individual in search of matrimony nothing can. I'll have her!-may
the devil eat me whole but I'll have her!
On! Injunhater, on!"
430
[jul'TE
xxii.
THE CAPTAIN REVELS IN THE CR30ATIONS OP
HIS PANCY.