"Colonel, to you!" said Wemmick; "how are you, Colonel?"
"All right, Mr. Wemmick."
"Everything was done that could be done, but the evidence was too
strong for us, Colonel."
"Yes, it was too strong, sir,--but I don't care."
"No, no," said Wemmick, coolly, "you don't care." Then, turning to
me, "Served His Majesty this man. Was a soldier in the line and
bought his discharge."
I said, "Indeed?" and the man's eyes looked at me, and then looked
over my head, and then looked all round me, and then he drew his
hand across his lips and laughed.
"I think I shall be out of this on Monday, sir," he said to
Wemmick.
"Perhaps," returned my friend, "but there's no knowing."
"I am glad to have the chance of bidding you good by, Mr. Wemmick,"
said the man, stretching out his hand between two bars.
"Thankye," said Wemmick, shaking hands with him. "Same to you,
Colonel."
"If what I had upon me when taken had been real, Mr. Wemmick," said
the man, unwilling to let his hand go, "I should have asked the
favor of your wearing another ring--in acknowledgment of your
attentions."
"I'll accept the will for the deed," said Wemmick. "By the by; you
were quite a pigeon-fancier." The man looked up at the sky. "I am
told you had a remarkable breed of tumblers.
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