In the meantime, Forrester goes to see
his sweetheart, Kate Allen--a smart girl, by the way, colonel, and well
to look on. Parting's a very uncomfortable thing, now, and they don't
altogether like it. Kate cries, and Forrester storms. Well, _must_ come
comes at last. They kiss, and are off--different ways. Well, grief's but
a dry companion, and to get rid of him, Forrester takes a drink; still
grief holds on, and then he takes another and another, until grief gets
off at last, but not before taking with him full half, and not the worst
half either, of the poor fellow's senses. What then? Why, then he
swaggers and swears at everything, and particularly at your nephew, who,
you see, not knowing his condition, swears at him for keeping him
waiting--"
"Ralph Colleton never swears, Mr. Pippin," said the colonel, grimly.
"Well, well, if he didn't swear then, he might very well have sworn, and
I'll be sworn but he did on that occasion; and it was very pardonable
too. Well, he swears at the drunken man, not knowing his condition, and
the drunken man rolls and reels like a rowdy, and gives it to him back,
and then they get at it.
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