jaws.

The admiral helped himself liberally from the dish; sent Magdalen to the
side-table to get him some bread; and, when he thought her eye was off
him, furtively tumbled the whole contents of his plate into Brutus's
mouth. Cassius whined faintly as his fortunate comrade swallowed the
savory mess at a gulp. "Hush! you fool," whispered the admiral. "Your
turn next!"

Magdalen presented the second dish. Once more the old gentleman helped
himself largely--once more he sent her away to the side-table--once
more he tumbled the entire contents of the plate down the dog's throat,
selecting Cassius this time, as became a considerate master and an
impartial man. When the next course followed--consisting of a plain
pudding and an unwholesome "cream"--Magdalen's suspicion of the function
of the dogs at the dinner-table was confirmed. While the master took the
simple pudding, the dogs swallowed the elaborate cream. The admiral was
plainly afraid of offending his cook on the one hand, and of offending
his digestion on the other--and Brutus and Cassius were the two trained
accomplices who regularly helped him every day off the horns of his
dilemma. "Very good! very good!" said the old gentleman, with the most
transparent duplicity. "Tell the cook, my dear, a capital cream!"

Having placed the wine and dessert on the table, Magdalen was about to
withdraw. Before she could leave the room, her master called her back.

"Stop, stop!" said the admiral; "you don't know the ways of the house
yet, Lucy. Put another wine-glass here, at my right hand--the largest
you can find, my dear. I've got a third dog, who comes in at dessert--a
drunken old sea-dog who has followed my fortunes, afloat and ashore, for
fifty years and more. Yes, yes, that's the sort of glass we want. You're
a good girl--you're a neat, handy girl. Steady, my dear! there's nothing
to be frightened at!"

A sudden thump on the outside of the door, followed by one mighty bark
from each of the dogs, had made Magdalen start. "Come in!" shouted the
admiral. The door opened; the tails of Brutus and Cassius cheerfully
thumped the floor; and old Mazey marched straight up to the right-hand
side of his master's chair. The veteran stood there, with his legs wide
apart and his balance carefully adjusted, as if the dining-room had been
a cabin, and the house a ship pitching in a sea-way.

The admiral filled the large glass with port, filled his own glass with
claret, and raised it