ife. You mean that he has found
you, and found you out, too, you drunken fellow. Jack, you get worse and
worse every day."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"What, you admit it?"

"Ay, ay, sir. Now, Master Charley, I tell you what it is, I shall take
you off to your old uncle, you shore going sneak and you'll have to
report what cruise you've been upon all this while, leaving the ship to
look after itself. Lord love you all, if it hadn't been for me I don't
know what anybody would have done."

"I only know of the result," said Dr Chillingworth, "that would ensue,
if it were not for you, and that would consist in a great injury to the
revenue, in consequence of the much less consumption of rum and other
strong liquors."

"I'll be hanged up at the yard if I understands what you mean," said
Jack; "as if I ever drunk anything--I, of all people in the world. I am
ashamed of you. You are drunk."

Several of the dragoons had to turn aside to keep themselves from
laughing, and the officer himself could not forbear from a smile as be
said to the doctor,--

"Sir, you seem to have many acquaintances, and by some means or another
they all have an inclination to come here to-night. If, however, you
consider that you are bound to remain here from a feeling that the Hall
is threatened with any danger, you may dismiss that fear, for I shall
leave a picquet here all night."

"No, sir," replied Dr. Chillingworth, "it is not that I fear now, after
the manner in which they have been repulsed, any danger to the Hall from
the mob; but I have reasons for wishing to be in it or near it for some
time to come."

"As you please."

"Charles, do not wait for or accept the guidance of that drunken fellow,
but go yourself with a direction which I will write down for you in a
leaf of my pocket-book."

"Drunken fellow," exclaimed Jack, who had now scrambled to his feet,
"who do you call a drunken fellow?"

"Why you, unquestionably."

"Well, now, that is hard. Come along, nevey; I'll shew you where they
all are. I could walk a plank on any deck with any man in the service, I
could. Come along, my boy, come along."

"You can accept of him as a guide if you like, of course," said the
doctor; "he may be sober enough to conduct you."

"I think he can," said Charles. "Lead on, Jack; but mark me, I shall
inform my uncle of this intemperance, as well as of the manner in which
you let your tongue wag about him behind his back, unless you promise to
reform.