approval whereupon the Captain bowed, shot his ruffles
again, said 'Haw!' and sat down.

"Alton, 'tis now your turn!"

Up rose the Marquis, tossed off his glass, fished a somewhat crumpled
paper from his pocket and incontinent gave tongue:

"A song I sing in praise of Bet
I sing a song o' she, sirs
O let the ploughboy curse and sweat
But what is that to me, sirs?
My bully boys, brave bully boys
But what is that to me, sirs?"

"Here's that misfortunate ploughboy sweating again!" sighed Alvaston,
while Sir Benjamin choked with wine and indignant horror:

"Hold, od's my life--Alton, hold!" he gasped. "Heaven save us, what's
all this? 'Twill never do----"

"Sink me, Ben--why not?"

"Because it sounds like nothing in the world but a low drinking catch,
sir, mingled and confused with a vulgar hunting-snatch."

"Nay, you'll find it betters as it goes--heark'ee!"

"I love the pretty birds to hear;
The horn upon the hill
But when my buxom Bet appear
Her voice is sweeter still
Brave boys!
Her voice is sweeter still!

"The fish that doth in water swim
Though burnished bright he be
Doth all his scaly splendours dim
If Bet he chance to see.
Brave boys!
If Bet he chance to see.

"There's joy----"

"Ha' you got much more, Harry?" enquired Alvaston mournfully.

"O demme yes, when I get my leg over Pegasus, Bob, 'tis hard to
dismount me."

"There's joy in riding of a horse
That bottom hath and pace
But better still I love of course
Bet's witching, handsome face.
Brave boys!
Bet's witching, handsome face!

"E'en as the----"

"Hold a minute, Harry! You're givin' us a treatise on natural hist'ry,
sure?"

"How so, Bob?"

"Well, you've sung 'bout a bird, 'n' fish, 'n' beast--why ignore the
humble reptile? If you've got any more you might give us a rhyme 'bout
vermin----"

"Demme, Bob, so I have! Heark'ee:"

"E'en as the small but gamesome flea
On her white neck might frisk, sirs
Could I be there--then, e'en as he
My life, like him, I'd risk, sirs.
My bully boys, brave bully boys
My life, like him, I'd risk, sirs!"

Pandemonium broke forth; bottles rolled, glasses fell unheeded and
shivered upon the floor while the long room roared with Gargantuan
laughter, rising waves of merriment wherein Sir Benjamin's indignant
outburst was wholly drowned and his rapping was lost and all unheeded.
Howbeit, having broken two glasses and