"I wonder whether she has any more money in that house?" whispered Mr.
Sicklop to Mr. Redcap; who, with the landlady, had come to the door of
the room, and had been amusing themselves by the contemplation of this
sentimental scene.

"What a fool that wild Hirishman was not to bleed her for more!" said
the landlady; "but he's a poor ignorant Papist. I'm sure my man"
(this gentleman had been hanged), "wouldn't have come away with such a
beggarly sum."

"Suppose we have some more out of 'em?" said Mr. Redcap. "What prevents
us? We have got the old mare, and the colt too,--ha! ha!--and the pair
of 'em ought to be worth at least a hundred to us."

This conversation was carried on sotto voce; and I don't know whether
Mr. Brock had any notion of the plot which was arranged by the three
worthies. The landlady began it. "Which punch, madam, will you take?"
says she. "You must have something for the good of the house, now you
are in it."

"In coorse," said the Ensign.

"Certainly," said the other three. But the old lady said she was anxious
to leave the place; and putting down a crown-piece, requested the
hostess to treat the gentlemen in her absence. "Good-bye, Captain," said
the old lady.

"Ajew!" cried the Ensign, "and long life to you, my dear. You got me out
of a scrape at the justice's yonder; and, split me! but Insign Macshane
will remimber it as long as he lives."

And now Hayes and the two ladies made for the door; but the landlady
placed herself against it, and Mr. Sicklop said, "No, no, my pretty
madams, you ain't a-going off so cheap as that neither; you are not
going out for a beggarly twenty guineas, look you,--we must have more."

Mr. Hayes starting back, and cursing his fate, fairly burst into tears;
the two women screamed; and Mr. Brock looked as if the proposition both
amused and had been expected by him: but not so Ensign Macshane.

"Major!" said he, clawing fiercely hold of Brock's arms.

"Ensign," said Mr. Brock, smiling.

"Arr we, or arr we not, men of honour?"

"Oh, in coorse," said Brock, laughing, and using Macshane's favourite
expression.

"If we ARR men of honour, we are bound to stick to our word; and, hark
ye, you dirty one-eyed scoundrel, if you don't immadiately make way for
these leedies, and this lily-livered young jontleman who's crying so,
the Meejor here and I will lug out and force you." And so saying,
he drew his great sword and made a pass at Mr. Sicklop; which that
gent