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sighed as if lamenting their hard fate. However, the story was told
by the sergeant to the officers, and by the officers to the King
himself; and His Majesty was so inflamed by curiosity, that he
actually consented to let Morgan go home in order to bring back with
him his seven enormous brothers.'
'And were they as big as Morgan pretended?' asked my comrade. I
could not help laughing at his simplicity.
'Do you suppose,' cried I, 'that Morgan ever came back? No, no; once
free, he was too wise for that. He has bought a snug farm in
Tipperary with the money that was given him to secure his brothers;
and I fancy few men of the guards ever profited so much by it.'
The Prussian captain laughed exceedingly at this story, said that
the English were the cleverest nation in the world, and, on my
setting him right, agreed that the Irish were even more so. We rode
on very well pleased with each other; for he had a thousand stories
of the war to tell, of the skill and gallantry of Frederick, and the
thousand escapes, and victories, and defeats scarcely less glorious
than victories, through which the King had passed. Now that I was a
gentleman, I could listen with admiration to these tales: and yet
the sentiment recorded at the end of the last chapter was uppermost
in my mind but three weeks back, when I remembered that it was the
great general got the glory, and the poor soldier only insult and
the cane.
'By the way, to whom are you taking despatches?' asked the officer.
It was another ugly question, which I determined to answer at hap-
hazard; and so I said 'To General Rolls.' I had seen the general a
year before, and gave the first name in my head. My friend was quite
satisfied with it, and we continued our ride until evening came on;
and our horses being weary, it was agreed that we should come to a
halt.
'There is a very good inn,' said the Captain, as we rode up to what
appeared to me a very lonely-looking place.
'This may be a very good inn for Germany,' said I, 'but it would not
pass in old Ireland. Corbach is only a league off: let us push on
for Corbach.'
'Do you want to see the loveliest woman in Europe?' said the
officer. 'Ah! you sly rogue, I see THAT will influence you;' and,
truth to say, such a proposal WAS always welcome to me, as I don't
care to own. 'The people are great farmers,' said the Captain, 'as
well as innkeepers;' and, indeed, the place seemed more a farm than
an inn yard. We entered by a great gate into a Court walled round,
and at one end of which was the building, a dingy ruinous place. A
couple of covered waggens were in the court, their horses were
littered under a shed hard by, and lounging about the place were
some men and a pair of sergeants in the Prussian uniform, who both
touched their hats to my friend the Captain. This customary
formality struck me as nothing extraordinary, but the aspect of the
inn had something exceedingly chilling and forbidding in it, and I
observed the men shut to the great yard-gates as soon as we were
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