"And you will have one," said Fortywinks,
shutting his note-book. "People don't
know the Spanish character. They travel in
cliques; they do not mix with the people;
they—"

"Fortywinks, a glass of wine," said
Spanker trying to put him out.

It was of no use.

"They mistake the Spaniard's religion for
bigotry; his courage for cruelty. They go
in beer-drinking parties from Gibraltar with
English officers who ought— "

"No side-winds," said a voice.

"There are men who go into Spain, tossing
bonbons through gratings, kissing hands to
jealously-guarded beauties, insulting every
prejudice of the natives, and when they— "

Spanker here caught up a wine-glass with
angry intent, when a tremendous knock on
the table with a wooden hammer from Major
Hodgins, interrupted the conflict, and lulled
us one by one to silence. The Major stood
like Caesar on the Capitol, one hand in the
breast of his regimentals, the other knuckling
down on the table.

"Gentlemen,—You are all, I am sure,
aware that we are met together this evening
to discharge a painful, yet pleasant duty,
of bidding farewell to an honoured friend.
(Cheers.) I need not dilate on his urbanity.
(Cheers.) I need not waste my weak (No,
no!) words in dilating on his social
qualities, on the merriment which hovers
round him like a —like a —(Hear, hear!)
Gentlemen, I am selected from among you,
not for my eloquence (Yes, yes!), but for my
age and experience in such social matters
(Ironical cries of No, no!—Shouts of 'Thirty-
one last grass,' from Spanker), to express
the regret with which Gib—I think I may
venture to say, I think I am in A POSITION to
say old Gib— looks upon the vessel—upon
the departure of our esteemed friend, Blank.
(Cheers.) (Beusaken, who has been asleep,
awakes and cheers when everyone else has
finished). We have known him as a delightful
friend—as a kind host—as an entertaining
and laughter-moving companion. Henceforth
he must be for us only a pleasant
memory, and what I believe Tom Moore
eloquently calls ' a phantom of delight.'
(Rapturous applause. Niggles shakes his
head, and says, ' Wordsworth.') I, therefore,
gentlemen, call on you to fill your glasses, and
drink the health of our honoured friend,
Blank, with three times three. Take the time
from me. Gentlemen, charge your glasses."

"Bumpers," cries Spanker; and looks at
the bottle with radiant triumph.

"Kentish Fire," suggests Driver.

The toast was drunk up-standing with
tremendous applause, and Kentish Fire, till
the glasses hopped for joy upon the table.
Then came " For he's a jolly good fellow,"
and " It's a way we have in the Army," till
everybody was red, smiling, and out of
breath.

The silence then became painful, and the
constraint evident. The bottle began to stick
in its orbit as if no one would take any more
till I had spoken, I rose.

"Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen,—'A full
bottle needs no squeezing,' is a true observation,
though not a Spanish proverb. Out of
the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh.
As marriage is the consummation of love,
and ripe manhood, childhood perfected, so are
thanks the flowers of gratitude. To quote the
poet Firdusì, man is like the soldier on the
march, he gets into snug quarters, hugs the
fire, laughs at his meals, prattles with the
children, is charmed with the landlady, grows
friends with the host. He could live at his
billet for ever. Just such a village as he had
dreamt of for his age. Bang goes a gun;
the trumpet blows; his comrades' horses paw
the ground; he must mount. The order to
march is given, and he must ride away. (Cheers
—Spanker is affected.) He presses this one's
lips and that one's hand; he mounts, and,
by that happy village, is never more seen.
All parting is a type of that last march, when
Death blows the trumpet for our moving.
(Fortywinks makes a note, and Schwartzenlicht
sobs, not quite understanding the
allusion, but observing the earnest
'egspression' of my face.) Yet, with these friendly
faces before me smiling approval, how can I
be sad? Let me recal some of the pleasant
scenes of the strange land, half orange-grove,
half desert, we have traversed together,
dividing our vexations, and doubling our
joys. We have all gazed on the Giralda and
the Alhambra, the Arab river, and the
Moorish tower. We have together beheld
those strange groups and scenes that
previously had been to us mere dreams, mere
vapours from books and pictures, themselves,
however beautiful, mere idols and
dreams of dreams. (Cheers.) Aided by the
learning of Herr Schwartzenlicht, and the
critical acumen of Mr. Niggle, the energy
of Mr. Naggle, the chivalrous ardour of
Lieutenant Spanker, (deprecatory cries of
' No, no!' from Spanker), the experience
of Major Hodgins, the talent of Mr. Fortywinks,
the artistic taste of Mr. Fluker,
the zeal of Mr. Rose, and the fidelity of
Señor Bensaken, I have returned from Spain
thin, brown, footsore, and dusty, but otherwise
sound in wind and limb. (Applause.)
With you, friends of my heart, I have
watched the bloodshed of the bull-fight, the
industry of the wine districts, the hardy
poverty of the raisin country, the rough
endurance of the fishermen, the beauty of
the black-eyed Donnas, the chivalry of the
Dons, the sterility of the sand-plains, and the
green lavishness of the vineyards. With you
I have Jaughed over Don Quixote's generous
craziness and unsuccessful attempts to put
an old civilisation right, by means of the ideal
laws of an exploded chivalry. With you, I
have rambled over Gil Blas, and studied