 the corps, he had a singular museum. He
was one of the best shots in England, and, for a heavy man, one of the best
riders; indeed, he and Crawley had been rivals when the latter was in the army.
To be brief, Mr. Macmurdo was lying in bed, reading in Bell's Life an account of
that very fight between the Tutbury Pet and the Barking Butcher which has been
before mentioned - a venerable bristly warrior, with a little close-shaved grey
head with a silk nightcap, a red face and nose, and a great dyed moustache.
    When Rawdon told the Captain he wanted a friend, the latter knew perfectly
well on what duty of friendship he was called to act, and indeed had conducted
scores of affairs for his acquaintances with the greatest prudence and skill.
His Royal Highness the late lamented Commander-in-Chief had had the greatest
regard for Macmurdo on this account; and he was the common refuge of gentlemen
in trouble.
    »What's the row about, Crawley, my boy?« said the old warrior. »No more
gambling business, hey, like that when we shot Captain Marker?«
    »It's about - about my wife,« Crawley answered, casting down his eyes and
turning very red.
    The other gave a whistle. »I always said she'd throw you over,« he began -
indeed there were bets in the regiment and at the clubs regarding the probable
fate of Colonel Crawley, so lightly was his wife's character esteemed by his
comrades and the world - but seeing the savage look with which Rawdon answered
the expression of this opinion, Macmurdo did not think fit to enlarge upon it
further.
    »Is there no way out of it, old boy?« the Captain continued in a grave tone.
»Is it only suspicion, you know, or - or what is it? Any letters? Can't you keep
it quiet? Best not make any noise about a thing of that sort if you can help
it.« »Think of his only finding her out now,« the Captain thought to himself,
and remembered a hundred particular conversations at the mess-table, in which
Mrs. Crawley's reputation had been torn to shreds.
    »There's no way but one out of it,« Rawdon replied - »and there's only a way
out of it for one of us, Mac - do you understand? I was put out of the way -
arrested - I found 'em alone together. I told him
