 occurred, studied our friend the General with peculiar gusto, and
drew the honest fellow out many a night. A bait, consisting of sixpennyworth of
brandy and water, the worthy old man was sure to swallow; and under the
influence of this liquor, who was more happy than he to tell his stories of his
daughter's triumphs and his own, in love, war, drink, and polite society? Thus
Huxter was enabled to present to his friends many pictures of Costigan: of
Costigan fighting a jewel in the Phaynix - of Costigan and his interview with
the Juke of York - of Costigan at his sonunlaw's teeble, surrounded by the
nobilitee of his countree - of Costigan when crying drunk, at which time he was
in the habit of confidentially lamenting his daughter's ingratichewd, and
stating that his grey hairs were hastening to a praymachure greeve. And thus our
friend was the means of bringing a number of young fellows to the Back Kitchen,
who consumed the landlord's liquors whilst they relished the General's
peculiarities, so that mine host pardoned many of the latter's foibles, in
consideration of the good which they brought to his house. Not the highest
position in life was this certainly, or one which, if we had a reverence for an
old man, we would be anxious that he should occupy; but of this aged buffoon it
may be mentioned that he had no particular idea that his condition of life was
not a high one, and that in his whiskied blood there was not a black drop, nor
in his muddled brains a bitter feeling, against any mortal being. Even his
child, his cruel Emily, he would have taken to his heart and forgiven with
tears; and what more can one say of the Christian charity of a man than that he
is actually ready to forgive those who have done him every kindness, and with
whom he is wrong in a dispute?
    There was some idea amongst the young men who frequented the Back Kitchen,
and made themselves merry with the society of Captain Costigan, that the Captain
made a mystery regarding his lodgings for fear of duns, or from a desire of
privacy, and lived in some wonderful place. Nor would the landlord of the
premises, when questioned upon this subject, answer any inquiries - his maxim
being that he only knew gentlemen who frequented that room, in that room; that
when they quitted that room, having paid their scores as gentlemen, and behaved
as gentlemen, his communication with them ceased; and that, as a gentleman
himself, he thought it was only impertinent curiosity
