Perhaps not much under any circumstances. Perhaps if he could haveknown what was passing at that moment in Joe"s mind, he would haveliked them still less.
"Is he recruiting for a--for a fine regiment?" said Joe, glancingat a little round mirror that hung in the bar.
"I believe he is," replied the host. "It"s much the same thing,whatever regiment he"s recruiting for. I"m told there an"t a dealof difference between a fine man and another one, when they"re shotthrough and through."
"They"re not all shot," said Joe.
"No," the Lion answered, "not all. Those that are--supposing it"sdone easy--are the best off in my opinion."
"Ah!" retorted Joe, "but you don"t care for glory."
"For what?" said the Lion.
"Glory."
"No," returned the Lion, with supreme indifference. "I don"t.
You"re right in that, Mr Willet. When Glory comes here, and callsfor anything to drink and changes a guinea to pay for it, I"ll giveit him for nothing. It"s my belief, sir, that the Glory"s armswouldn"t do a very strong business."
These remarks were not at all comforting. Joe walked out, stoppedat the door of the next room, and listened. The serjeant wasdescribing a military life. It was all drinking, he said, exceptthat there were frequent intervals of eating and love-making. Abattle was the finest thing in the world--when your side won it-andEnglishmen always did that. "Supposing you should be killed,sir?" said a timid voice in one corner. "Well, sir, supposing youshould be," said the serjeant, "what then? Your country loves you,sir; his Majesty King George the Third loves you; your memory ishonoured, revered, respected; everybody"s fond of you, and gratefulto you; your name"s wrote down at full length in a book in the WarOffice. Damme, gentlemen, we must all die some time, or another,eh?"
The voice coughed, and said no more.
Joe walked into the room. A group of half-a-dozen fellows hadgathered together in the taproom, and were listening with greedyears. One of them, a carter in a smockfrock, seemed wavering anddisposed to enlist. The rest, who were by no means disposed,strongly urged him to do so (according to the custom of mankind),backed the serjeant"s arguments, and grinned among themselves. "Isay nothing, boys," said the serjeant, who sat a little apart,drinking his liquor. "For lads of spirit"--here he cast an eye onJoe--"this is the time. I don"t want to inveigle you. The king"snot come to that, I hope. Brisk young blood is what we want; notmilk and water. We won"t take five men out of six. We want top-sawyers, we do. I"m not a-going to tell tales out of school, but,damme, if every gentleman"s son that carries arms in our corps,through being under a cloud and having little differences with hisrelations, was counted up"--here his eye fell on Joe again, and sogood-naturedly, that Joe beckoned him out. He came directly.
"You"re a gentleman, by G--!" was his first remark, as he slappedhim on the back. "You"re a gentleman in disguise. So am I. Let"sswear a friendship."
Joe didn"t exactly do that, but he shook hands with him, andthanked him for his good opinion.
"You want to serve," said his new friend. "You shall. You weremade for it. You"re one of us by nature. What"ll you take todrink?"
"Nothing just now," replied Joe, smiling faintly. "I haven"t quitemade up my mind."
"A mettlesome fellow like you, and not made up his mind!" criedthe serjeant. "Here--let me give the bell a pull, and you"ll makeup your mind in half a minute, I know."
"You"re right so far"--answered Joe, "for if you pull the bellhere, where I"m known, there"ll be an end of my soldieringinclinations in no time. Look in my face. You see me, do you?"
"I do," replied the serjeant with an oath, "and a finer youngfellow or one better qualified to serve his king and country, Inever set my--" he used an adjective in this place--"eyes on.
"Thank you," said Joe, "I didn"t ask you for want of a compliment,but thank you all the same. Do I look like a sneaking fellow or aliar?"
The serjeant rejoined with many choice asseverations that hedidn"t; and that if his (the serjeant"s) own father were to say hedid, he would run the old gentleman through the body cheerfully,and consider it a meritorious action.
Joe expressed his obligations, and continued, "You can trust methen, and credit what I say. I believe I shall enlist in yourregiment to-night. The reason I don"t do so now is, because Idon"t want until to-night, to do what I can"t recall. Where shallI find you, this evening?"
His friend replied with some unwillingness, and after muchineffectual entreaty having for its object the immediate settlementof the business, that his quarters would be at the Crooked Billetin Tower Street; where he would be found waking until midnight, andsleeping until breakfast time to-morrow.
"And if I do come--which it"s a million to one, I shall--when willyou take me out of London?" demanded Joe.
"To-morrow morning, at half after eight o"clock," replied theserjeant. "You"ll go abroad--a country where it"s all sunshine andplunder--the finest climate in the world."
"To go abroad," said Joe, shaking hands with him, "is the verything I want. You may expect me."
"You"re the kind of lad for us," cried the serjeant, holding Joe"shand in his, in the excess of his admiration. "You"re the boy topush your fortune. I don"t say it because I bear you any envy, orwould take away from the credit of the rise you"ll make, but if Ihad been bred and taught like you, I"d have been a colonel by thistime."
"Tush, man!" said Joe, "I"m not so young as that. Needs must whenthe devil drives; and the devil that drives me is an empty pocketand an unhappy home. For the present, good-bye."
"For king and country!" cried the serjeant, flourishing his cap.
"For bread and meat!" cried Joe, snapping his fingers. And so theyparted.