While he was descanting on the attributes of that bewitching 'crature,'
Puddock, not two yards off, was describing, with scarcely less unction,
the perfections of 'pig roast with the hair on:' and the two made a
medley like 'The Roast Beef of Old England,' and 'The Last Rose of
Summer,' arranged in alternate stanzas. O'Flaherty suddenly stopped
short, and said a little sternly to Lieutenant Puddock--
'Does it very much signify, Sir (or as O'Flaherty pronounced it "Sorr,")
whether the animal has hair upon it or not?'
_'Every_ thing, Thir, in thith particular retheipt,' answered Puddock, a
little loftily.
'But,' said Nutter, who, though no great talker, would make an effort to
prevent a quarrel, and at the same time winking to Puddock in token that
O'Flaherty was just a little 'hearty,' and so to let him alone; 'what
signifies pigs' hair, compared with human tresses?'
'Compared with _human_ tresses?' interrupted O'Flaherty, with stern
deliberation, and fixing his eyes steadily and rather unpleasantly upon
Nutter (I think he saw that wink and perhaps did not understand its
import.)
'Ay, Sir, and Mrs.
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