X
Whether Susannah, by taking her hand too suddenly from off the corporalвАЩs shoulder (by the whisking about of her passions)вБ†вЄЇвБ†broke a little the chain of his reflectionsвБ†вЄЇвБ†
Or whether the corporal began to be suspicious, he had got into the doctorвАЩs quarters, and was talking more like the chaplain than himselfвБ†вЄї
Or whether- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Or whetherвБ†вЄЇвБ†for in all such cases a man of invention and parts may with pleasure fill a couple of pages with suppositionsвБ†вЄЇвБ†which of all these was the cause, let the curious physiologist, or the curious anybody determineвБ†вЄЇвАЩtis certain, at least, the corporal went on thus with his harangue.
For my own part, I declare it, that out of doors, I value not death at all:вБ†вАФnot thisвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ added the corporal, snapping his fingers,вБ†вАФbut with an air which no one but the corporal could have given to the sentiment.вБ†вАФIn battle, I value death not thisвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and let him not take me cowardly, like poor Joe Gibbins, in scouring his gunвБ†вАФWhat is he? A pull of a triggerвБ†вАФa push of a bayonet an inch this way or thatвБ†вАФmakes the difference.вБ†вАФLook along the lineвБ†вАФto the rightвБ†вАФsee! JackвАЩs down! well,вБ†вАФвАЩtis worth a regiment of horse to him.вБ†вАФNoвБ†вАФвАЩtis Dick. Then JackвАЩs no worse.вБ†вАФNever mind which,вБ†вАФwe pass on,вБ†вАФin hot pursuit the wound itself which brings him is not felt,вБ†вАФthe best way is to stand up to him,вБ†вАФthe man who flies, is in ten times more danger than the man who marches up into his jaws.вБ†вАФIвАЩve lookвАЩd him, added the corporal, an hundred times in the face,вБ†вАФand know what he is.вБ†вАФHeвАЩs nothing, Obadiah, at all in the field.вБ†вАФBut heвАЩs very frightful in a house, quoth Obadiah.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I never mind it myself, said Jonathan, upon a coach-box.вБ†вАФIt must, in my opinion, be most natural in bed, replied Susannah.вБ†вАФAnd could I escape him by creeping into the worst calfвАЩs skin that ever was made into a knapsack, I would do it thereвБ†вАФsaid TrimвБ†вАФbut that is nature.
вЄЇвБ†Nature is nature, said Jonathan.вБ†вАФAnd that is the reason, cried Susannah, I so much pity my mistress.вБ†вАФShe will never get the better of it.вБ†вАФNow I pity the captain the most of anyone in the family, answered Trim.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Madam will get ease of heart in weeping,вБ†вАФand the Squire in talking about it,вБ†вАФbut my poor master will keep it all in silence to himself,вБ†вАФI shall hear him sigh in his bed for a whole month together, as he did for lieutenant Le Fever.вБ†вАФAnвАЩ please your honour, do not sigh so piteously, I would say to him as I laid besides him. I cannot help it, Trim, my master would say,вБ†вЄЇвАЩtis so melancholy an accidentвБ†вАФI cannot get it off my heart.вБ†вАФYour honour fears not death yourself.вБ†вАФI hope, Trim, I fear nothing, he would say, but the doing a wrong thing.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Well, he would add, whatever betides, I will take care of Le FeverвАЩs boy.вБ†вАФAnd with that, like a quieting draught, his honour would fall asleep.
I like to hear TrimвАЩs stories about the captain, said Susannah.вБ†вАФHe is a kindly-hearted gentleman, said Obadiah, as ever lived.вБ†вАФAye, and as brave a one too, said the corporal, as ever stepped before a platoon.вБ†вАФThere never was a better officer in the kingвАЩs army,вБ†вАФor a better man in GodвАЩs world; for he would march up to the mouth of a cannon, though he saw the lighted match at the very touch-hole,вБ†вАФand yet, for all that, he has a heart as soft as a child for other people.вБ†вЄЇвБ†He would not hurt a chicken.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I would sooner, quoth Jonathan, drive such a gentleman for seven pounds a yearвБ†вАФthan some for eight.вБ†вАФThank thee, Jonathan! for thy twenty shillings,вБ†вАФas much, Jonathan, said the corporal, shaking him by the hand, as if thou hadst put the money into my own pocket.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I would serve him to the day of my death out of love. He is a friend and a brother to me,вБ†вАФand could I be sure my poor brother Tom was dead,вБ†вАФcontinued the corporal, taking out his handkerchief,вБ†вАФwas I worth ten thousand pounds, I would leave every shilling of it to the captain.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Trim could not refrain from tears at this testamentary proof he gave of his affection to his master.вБ†вЄЇвБ†The whole kitchen was affected.вБ†вАФDo tell us the story of the poor lieutenant, said Susannah.вБ†вЄЇвБ†With all my heart, answered the corporal.
Susannah, the cook, Jonathan, Obadiah, and corporal Trim, formed a circle about the fire; and as soon as the scullion had shut the kitchen door,вБ†вАФthe corporal begun.