must hold myself rather high; it will prepare him, as it were,
for the bad news. Poor fellow!

_Enter Captain Etheridge and Mertoun, from the gates of the Lodge._

_Capt. Eth._ (_holding out his hand_). Hail! Peter, my good fellow! how
are you all at home?

_Peter._ (_turning away, and folding his arms_). Pretty well, Captain.

_Capt. Mer._ (_aside_). I say, Etheridge, that's a dead cut; who is your
friend?

_Capt. Eth._ (_astonished_). What's the matter now? I think, Mr Peter,
when I offer my hand, it is not very courteous in you to refuse it.

_Peter._ (_ostentatiously_). Property, Captain, is property. You'll
allow that. My hand is my own, and I have it in possession. You'll allow
that. But there is other property, which at present is not in my
possession, but which you will allow to be hereafter. (_Aside._) That's
a hard hit.

_Capt. Mer._ Property is property, Etheridge, and to judge by his
manners, your friend must have an excess of it in possession.

_Capt. Eth._ Property is property, but I doubt if my friend has much of
it in possession.

_Peter._ No, but I hope to have.

_Capt. Eth._ Well, I hope so too. But what's the matter with you, Peter?

_Peter._ Excessively familiar!

_Capt. Mer._ Upon my word, Etheridge I wonder at your patience. Who is
the brute?

_Peter._ Brute, sir, did you say brute?

_Capt. Mer._ Yes, sir, I did.

_Peter._ Then, sir, if you say brute, I beg to observe to you, sir,
that--that----

_Capt. Mer._ What? Well, sir!

_Peter._ That, sir, a brute is a beast, sir----

_Capt. Mer._ Exactly.

_Peter._ And if that's what you meant, there's no offence. Now, if you
say brute beast----

_Capt. Mer._ Well, sir, I do say so.

_Peter._ You do--you do say so? Well, then, sir, allow me to tell you,
in very positive terms, sir, that you have been guilty of--of tautology.

_Capt. Mer._ Your friend is very harmless, Etheridge.

_Capt. Eth._ I am aware of that; but still I was not prepared for this
impertinence, considering the obligations he is under to my family.

_Peter._ Obligations, sir, what obligations? Do you refer to the
advantages that you had in being educated with me?

_Capt. Eth._ I have ever considered the reverse; and that it was you who
had the advantages, had you had sense enough to profit by them.

_Peter._ Now, observe, there's your mistake.

_Capt. Eth. to Capt. Mer._ The fool is mad.

_Peter._ Mad, Captain what's your name?

_Capt. Eth._ Captain w