tle of
it now, seeing that the vines are ruined in the island, is worth from
thirty shillings to five-and-thirty. I won it from Tom Hardiman; he took
the invoice out of his pocket-book and flung it across the table to
me. 'Grog,' says he, 'when you take it out of bond, mind you ask me to
dinner, and give me a bottle of it?' But he's gone, 'toes up,' and so
here's to his memory."

"'Drunk in solemn silence,' as the newspapers say," broke in Paul, as he
drained his glass.

"Yes," said Davis, eying the wine by the light, "that's a tipple this
little inn here is not much accustomed to see under its roof; but if I
were to stay a little longer, I 'd make something of this place. They
never heard of Harvey's sauce, Chili vinegar, Caviare, Stilton; even
Bass and British gin were novelties when I came. There, as well as I can
make it up, you are a winner of fifteen naps; there they are."

"Dear me, I fancied I stood safe to come off with a hundred!" said Paul,
lugubriously.

"So you did, without counting the points; but you 've lost five hundred
and sixty-four,--ay, and a right good thing you 've made of it, Master
Paul. I 'd like to know how long it is since you earned such a sum
honestly."

Classon sighed heavily as he swept the cash into his pocket, and said,
"I'm unable to tell you; my memory grows worse every day."

"When you go back to England, you can always brush it up by the Police
sheet,--that's a comfort," said Davis, with a savage laugh.

"And what will the noble Viscount have to spend yearly?" asked Classon,
to change the theme.

"Something between eight and ten thousand."

"A snug thing, Kit,--a very snug thing indeed; and I take it that by
this time o' day he knows the world pretty well."

"No; nothing of the kind!" said Grog, bluntly; "he's a fool, and must
stay a fool!"

"The more luck his, then, to have Christopher Davis for his
father-in-law."

"I 'll tell you what's better still, Holy Paul,--to have Lizzy Davis for
his wife. _You_ think she's going to make a great match of it because
he's the Lord Viscount and she is _my_ daughter; but _I_ tell you, and I
'm ready to maintain it too, I never met the man yet was worthy of her.
There may be girls as handsome, though I never saw them,--there may be
others as clever, that I'm no judge of; but this I do know,--that for
pluck, real pluck, you 'll not find her equal in Europe. She'd never
have married him for his rank; no, if it was a dukedom he had