The adventures of sir Frizzle Pumpkin Author:James White Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: woman, fleeching and beseeching,—there, an unfortunate man, with the finest case of spirits I had ever met,—but what were these to one who was devotedly attached... more » to duty ? What was I to do ? " " Why," said Saville, " last time you told the story, you had him shot for desertion, after a drum-head court-martial,—the time before, you let him off for a flogging,—for God's sake, spare him altogether tonight." " What! spare a deserter altogether ? I'll see him d—d first—it would have a very bad effect. No; I yielded so far to their entreaties, that, in fact, I—I— I undertook, you'll perceive, to manage the matter for them, on condition of their forfeiting one pipe of port and one hogshead of Madeira to the use of his Majesty's service. It was given in all due form to our mess, and when I gave them a discharge in proper style for the private John Taylor, you never saw two people so overjoyed in your life. Those Portuguese, you'll understand, kiss upon the most trifling occasions; but, my heavens ! I don't believe any lady ever had such magnificent lips as the Lady Sera- phina." The little man threw himself back in his chair, and seemed to glow with the recollection of these imaginary kisses. For imaginary indeed they were. The gentleman, who had listened throughout the story very attentively, was just about to make a reply, when he was addressed from the bottom of the table by a gentleman in plain clothes, who spoke with a very Scottish accent. " Sir, I've been listenin' a' night to the story o' the quartermaster. I was in the regiment wi' him at the time, and can hear witness to his anecdote, for I mind it very weel. There certainly was a lad o' the name o' John Taylor listed wi' us at Winchester; he was a lang thin good-for-nothing like fellow, wi' sic a grewsome cast in hi...« less