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    of the Rifles wishes to speak to him / ' The servant than stepping jacro $ s the h ^ il ^ went into % tie i ' ^^^ ' ^^ vih \ le ^ i ^ door was ajar , I heard the Colonel ask , " Is he an uniform or in coloured clothes ? ' "In coloured clothes ! " was the answer . " Tell him to came in ! " I entered the room slowly ; and believe me I went with more spirit on the Forlorn Hope at Badajos than I now did into the presence of this officer . He € l

    was standing , with his back to the fire-place . Well , friend /' said he , " what do you want ? " In a sort of feigned tone I answered —?" . I want to know , Sir , if you will lend me ( here I stammered)—a little ( another stammer)—money to carry me

    to London ; and I will pay you when I get my pension . " Duriing the time I delivered myself , which I did in a very faltering manner , of this speech , the Colonel , stooping down , stared me very full in the face , as if he thought me mad ; then , with herculean voice he exclaimed , " God damn you , Sir :

    who are you ? what are you ? what do you want ? " This rousing up the spirit of the soldier within me , I altered my tone , and said in the most earnest and determined manner" Sir ! I am a man brought to the last pitch of distress ; without friend or money ; if you will assist me , do so , but do not insult my feelings ; " then , throwing my papers down on the table , I added , " there are my papers , keep them until I refund taDie , l aaaea , mere are my papers , Keep tnem until ueiuna

    the money . I am a soldier of the Rifle Brigade , who has fought , and repeatedly bled in the service of his country . " He then , taking up my Chelsea discharge , and reading over attentively the wounds I had received , viz ., five , looked at me with . altogether an altered expression , and said , € t You must have been a braye fellow , or you would not have received so mstny scars in the service ; which battalion did you belong to ? " I toldmi ^ " tl ^ e first ! " He then asked what money I wanted to take me ta

    London ; I answered , that" it was only seventy-five miles , a ^ ud that two shillings would be sufficient ; that I could walk more than thirty-five miles per day as I had no knapsack to carry , and a shilling a day would do for me . " Here my feelings overpowered me , and tears—the first I almost recollect to have shed ; large . tears trickled down my cheek . He himself turned Tound towards the fire-place , evidently affected , and

    then facing round to me again , said "Tut ! tut ! A brave soldier should not mind a little poverty . " Then ringing the bell , the footman , who was in attendance , came iijto the room , and he added , . " Tell the cook to get a good hot dinner ready for a gallant soldier . " He then , putting a chair towards me , desired me to sit down , and began conversing with me familiarly . I now told him the whole story of Augustine , and how I had exhausted pay funds in returning with her and her infant back to France . He then asked me a number of questions concern-

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    The Rifleman ' s Wife . 227

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• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 1, 1837, page 227, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1830/page/37/