t our friends seem to derive from it, Sir, that
a ring-goat, whatever it means, is a good joke, as well as a
good-natured one.'

'But, by your leave, Sir,' emphatically interposed Puddock, on whose ear
the ecclesiastic's blunder grated like a discord, 'Mr. Loftus sang
nothing about a goat, though kid is not a bad thing: he said, "ringos,"
meaning, I conclude, eringoeous, a delicious preserve or confection.
Have you never eaten them, either preserved or candied--a--why I--a--I
happen to have a receipt--a--and if you permit me, Sir--a capital
receipt. When I was a boy, I made some once at home, Sir; and, by
Jupiter, my brother, Sam, eat of them till he was quite sick--I
remember, _so_ sick, by Jupiter, my poor mother and old Dorcas had to
sit up all night with him--a--and--I was going to say, if you will allow
me, Sir, I shall be very happy to send the receipt to your housekeeper.'

'You'll not like it, Sir,' said Devereux, mischievously: 'but there
really is a capital one--quite of another kind--a lenten dish--fish, you
know, Puddock--the one you described yesterday; but Mr. Loftus has, I
think, a still better way.'

'Have you, Sir?' asked Puddock, who had a keen appetite for knowledge.

'I don't know, Captain Puddock,' murmured Loftus, bewildered.

'What is it?' remarked his reverence, shortly.

'A roast roach,' answered Puddock, looking quite innocently in that
theologian's fiery face.

'_Thank_ you,' said Father Roach, with an expression of countenance
which polite little Puddock did not in the least understand.

'And how _do you_ roast him--we know Loftus's receipt,' persisted
Devereux, with remarkable cruelty.

'Just like a lump,' said Puddock, briskly.

'And how is that?' enquired Devereux.

'Flay the lump--splat him--divide him,' answered Puddock, with great
volubility; 'and cut each side into two pieces; season with salt,
pepper, and nutmeg, and baste with clarified butter; dish him with
slices of oranges, barberries, grapes, gooseberries, and butter; and you
will find that he eats deliriously either with farced pain or gammon
pain.'

This rhapsody, delivered with the rapidity and emphasis of Puddock's
earnest lisp, was accompanied with very general tokens of merriment from
the company, and the priest, who half suspected him of having invented
it, was on the point of falling foul of him, when Lord Castlemallard
rose to take leave, and the general forthwith vacated the chair, and so
the party broke