But come and dine with me to-night: only, drive up in a hansom,
don't arrive in a balloon."
And the Illustrious Personage, what with enjoyment of the joke, and what
with muscular effort to suppress his laughter, nearly brought about a
vacancy in the highest rank of the army.
All this was doubtless as true as the story about the exit from the
Spanish farmhouse. But it pleased the company, and was only one of a
dozen stories they told about the captain, who was chiefly longing to be
out where he could smoke a cigar.
When the meeting came to an end, Josiah walked along Pall Mall
meditating on things, and on the comparative obscurity of the work he
had assigned to himself. Whilst others were soaring in high places, he
was burrowing underground. Both were in search of knowledge. Both
desired to benefit their fellow-men. But of the two Josiah felt that the
aeronauts had the advantage of the undergrounders. It was too late for
him to think of striking out a new path; but he thought that if he had
to begin life again he would soar.
Whilst pondering on these matters, he was startled by a heavy hand laid
upon his shoulder, and heard a cheery voice exclaim:
"Got a match in your pocket, old man?"
He looked up, and there, somewhere on a level with the lantern in the
neighbouring lamp-post, was the genial face of Captain Mulberry.
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