And what's more, sir, he
won't be off his patrole for a pretty long time to come, I can tell you
that.'
When he had communicated this bright idea, which had its origin in the
perusal by the village cronies of a newspaper, containing, among other
matters, an account of how some officer pending the sentence of some
court-martial had been enlarged on parole, Mr Willet drew back from his
guest's ear, and without any visible alteration of feature, chuckled
thrice audibly. This nearest approach to a laugh in which he ever
indulged (and that but seldom and only on extreme occasions), never even
curled his lip or effected the smallest change in--no, not so much as a
slight wagging of--his great, fat, double chin, which at these times, as
at all others, remained a perfect desert in the broad map of his face;
one changeless, dull, tremendous blank.
Lest it should be matter of surprise to any, that Mr Willet adopted this
bold course in opposition to one whom he had often entertained, and who
had always paid his way at the Maypole gallantly, it may be remarked
that it was his very penetration and sagacity in this respect, which
occasioned him to indulge in those unusual demonstrations of jocularity,
just now recorded.
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