blanktocrossthewater。Thisrevolt,whichcameverysuddenly,andonthelastday,soalarmedMr。Sedley,junior,thathewasonthepointofgivinguptheexpedition,butCaptainDobbinwhomadehimselfimmenselyofficiousinthebusiness,Jossaid,ratedhimandlaughedathimsoundly:themustachiosweregrowninadvance,andJosfinallywaspersuadedtoembark。Inplaceofthewell-bredandwell-fedLondondomestics,whocouldonlyspeakEnglish,DobbinprocuredforJos’spartyaswarthylittleBelgianservantwhocouldspeaknolanguageatall;butwho,byhisbustlingbehaviour,andbyinvariablyaddressingMr。Sedleyas“Mylord。”
speedilyacquiredthatgentleman’sfavour。TimesarealteredatOstendnow;oftheBritonswhogothither,veryfewlooklikelords,oractlikethosemembersofourhereditaryaristocracy。Theyseemforthemostpartshabbyinattire,dingyoflinen,loversofbilliardsandbrandy,andcigarsandgreasyordinaries。
Butitmaybesaidasarule,thateveryEnglishmanintheDukeofWellington’sarmypaidhisway。Theremembranceofsuchafactsurelybecomesanationofshopkeepers。Itwasablessingforacommerce-lovingcountrytobeoverrunbysuchanarmyofcustomers:
andtohavesuchcreditablewarriorstofeed。Andthecountrywhichtheycametoprotectisnotmilitary。Foralongperiodofhistorytheyhaveletotherpeoplefightthere。WhenthepresentwriterwenttosurveywitheagleglancethefieldofWaterloo,weaskedtheconductorofthediligence,aportlywarlike-lookingveteran,whetherhehadbeenatthebattle。”Passibete“——suchananswerandsentimentasnoFrenchmanwouldownto——
washisreply。But,ontheotherhand,thepostilionwhodroveuswasaViscount,asonofsomebankruptImperialGeneral,whoacceptedapennyworthofbeerontheroad。Themoralissurelyagoodone。
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