"Not a spoonful till he redeems his pledge." "Well, then, if you must have a story,--for most assuredly I must drink,--I have no objection to give you a leaf from my early reminiscences; and in compliment to Sparks there, my tale shall be of love." "I dinna like to lose the king's story.

I hae my thoughts it was na a bad ane." "Nor I neither, Doctor; but--" "Come, come, you shall have that too, the first night we meet in a bivouac, and as I fear the time may not be very far distant, don't be impatient; besides a love-story--" "Quite true," said Power, "a love-story claims precedence; _place aux dames_.

There's a bumper for you, old wickedness; so go along." The major cleared off his glass, refilled it, sipped twice, and ogled it as though he would have no peculiar objection to sip once more, took a long pinch of snuff from a box nearly as long as, and something the shape of a child's coffin, looked around to see that we were all attention, and thus began:-- "When I have been in a moralizing mood, as I very frequently am about this hour in the morning, I have often felt surprised by what little, trivial, and insignificant circumstances our lot in life seems to be cast; I mean especially as regards the fair sex.

You are prospering, as it were, to-day; to-morrow a new cut of your whiskers, a novel tie of your cravat, mars your destiny and spoils your future, _varium et mutabile_, as Horace has it.
On the other hand, some equally slight circumstance will do what all your ingenuity may have failed to effect.

I knew a fellow who married the greatest fortune in Bath, from the mere habit he had of squeezing one's hand.