Part 39 (1/2)
”Perhaps, Colonel, if you will be kind enough to read that out loud, my a.s.surance will be believed.”
”Faith, it was not your a.s.surance that we doubted, Terence, me boy!” O'Grady exclaimed. ”You have plenty of a.s.surance, and to spare; it is the statement that we were doubting.”
The colonel glanced down the doc.u.ment, and his face a.s.sumed an expression of extreme surprise.
”Gentlemen,” he said, rising, ”if you will endeavour to keep silence for a minute, I will read this doc.u.ment.”
The surprise on his own face was repeated on the faces of all those present, as he proceeded with his reading. O'Grady was the first to break the silence.
”In the name of St. Peter,” he said, ”what does it all mean? Are you sure that it is a genuine doc.u.ment, Colonel? Terence is capable of anything by way of a joke.”
”It is undoubtedly genuine, O'Grady. It is dated from Lord Beresford's quarters, and signed by his lords.h.i.+p himself as commander-in-chief of the Portuguese army. How it comes about beats me as much as it does you. But before we ask any questions we will drink a toast. Gentlemen, fill your gla.s.ses; here is to the health of Colonel Terence O'Connor.”
The toast was drank with much enthusiasm, mingled with laughter, for many of them had still a suspicion that the whole matter was somehow an elaborate trick played by Terence.
”Now, Colonel O'Connor, will you please to favour us with an account of how General Cradock and Lord Beresford have both united in giving you so big a step up.”
”It is a long story, Colonel.”
”So much the better,” the colonel replied. ”We have nothing to do, and it will keep us all awake.”
Terence's account of his interview with the colonel of the ordenancas, the demand by Cortingos that he should hand over the money he was escorting, and the subsequent gathering to attack the house, and the manner in which the leaders were captured, the rioters appeased and subsequently advised to direct their efforts to obtain arms and ammunition, excited exclamations of approval; but the belief that the story was a pure romance still prevailed in the minds of many, and Terence saw Captain O'Grady and d.i.c.k Ryan exchanging winks. It was not until Terence spoke of his rapid march to the mouth of the Minho, as soon as he heard that the French were concentrating there, that he began to be seriously listened to; and when he told how Soult's attempt to cross had been defeated, and the French general obliged to change the whole plan of the campaign, and to march round by Orense, the conviction that all this was true was forced upon them.
”By the powers, Terence!” the colonel exclaimed, bringing his hand down on his shoulder, ”you are a credit to the ould country. I am proud of you, me boy, and it is little I thought when O'Flaherty and myself conspired to get ye into the regiment that you were going to be such a credit to it. Gentlemen, before Colonel O'Connor goes further, we will drink his health again.”
This time there was no laughter mixed with the cheers. Many of the officers left their seats and came round to shake his hand warmly, O'Grady foremost among them.
”Sure I thought at first that it was blathering you were, Terence; but, begorra, I see now that it's gospel truth you are telling, and I am proud of you. Faith, I am as proud as if I were your own father, for haven't I brought you up in mischief of all kinds? Be the poker, I would have given me other arm to have been with you.”
The rest of the story was listened to without interruption. When it was concluded, Colonel Corcoran again rose.
”Gentlemen, we will for the third time drink to the health of Colonel O'Connor, and I think that you will agree with me that if ever a man deserved to be made a colonel it's himself.”
This time O'Grady and three others rushed to where Terence was sitting, seized him, and before he knew what they were going to do, hoisted him onto the shoulders of two of them, and carried him in triumph round the table. When at length quiet was restored, and Terence had resumed his seat, the colonel said:
”By the way, Terence, there was a little old gentleman called on me three days after we landed to ask if Major O'Connor was with the regiment. I told him that he was not, having gone on half-pay for the present on account of a wound. He seemed rather pleased than otherwise, I thought, and I asked him pretty bluntly what he wanted to know for. He brought an interpreter with him, and said through him that he hoped that I would not press that question, especially as a lady was concerned in the matter. It bothered me entirely. Why, from the time we landed at the Mondego till your father was. .h.i.t at Vimiera I don't believe we ever had the chance to speak to a woman. It may be that it was some lady that nursed him there after we had marched away, and who had taken a fancy to him. The ould man may have been her father, and was perhaps mighty glad to hear that the major was not coming back again.”
Terence burst into a shout of laughter.
”My dear Colonel,” he said, ”the respectable old gentleman did not call on behalf of his daughter, but on behalf of a cousin of mine, who was wanting to find my father; and Don Jose, who was in charge of her, was glad to hear that he was going to remain in England.”
”A cousin!” O'Grady exclaimed. ”Why how in the name of fortune does a lady cousin of yours come to be cruising about in such an outlandish place as this?”
”That is another story, Colonel, and I have talked until I am hoa.r.s.e now, so that that must keep until another sitting. It is quite time that I was off to see how my men are getting on.”
”Of course you will dine with us?”
”Not to-night, Colonel; this has been a long sitting, and I would rather not begin a fresh one.”
”Well, we will come and have a look at your regiments.”