a wink at his opposite neighbor.

"No liquor?" said Davy, looking up to sharpen the carving knife on the
steel. "Am I laving you dry like herrings in the hould?"

"Season us, capt'n," cried the black-smith, amid general laughter from
the rest.

"Aw, lave you alone for that," said Davy. "If you're like myself you're
in pickle enough already."

Then there were more winks and louder laughter.

"Mate!" shouted Davy over his shoulder to the waiter behind him, "a
gallon to every gentleman."

"Ay, ay," from all sides of the table in various tones of satisfaction.

"Yes, sir--of course, sir; beg pardon, sir, here, sir," said the waiter.

"Boys, healths apiece!" cried Davy.

"Healths apiece, Capt'n!" answered numerous thick voices, and up leaped
a line of yellow glasses.

"Ate, drink--there's plenty, boys; there's plenty," said Davy.

"Aw, plenty, capt'n--plenty."

"Come again, boys, come again," said Davy, from time to time; "but clane
plates--aw, clane plates--I hould with being nice at your males for all,
and no pigging."

Thus the supper went on for an hour, and then Davy by way of grace said,
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise His holy
name."

"A 'propriate tex', too," said the church-warden. "Aw, it's wonderful
the scriptural the Captn's getting when he's a bit crooked," he
whispered behind the back of his hand.

After that Davy stretched back in his chair and cried, "Your pipes
in your faces, boys. Smook up, smook up; chimleys everywhere, same as
Douglas at breakfast time."

For Davy's sake Lovibond had sat at table with the guests, though their
voracity had almost turned his stomach. At sight of the green light of
greed in their eyes he had said to himself, "Davy is a rough fellow, but
a born Christian. These creatures are hogs. Why doesn't his gorge
rise at them?" When the supper was done, and while the cloth was being
removed, amid the clatter of dishes and the striking of lights, Lovibond
rose and slipped out of the room.

Davy saw him go, and from that moment he became constrained and silent.
Sucking at his pipe and devoting himself steadily to the drink, he
answered in _hum's and ha's and that'll do's_ to the questions put to
him, and his laughter came out of him at intervals in jumps and jerks
like water from the neck of a bottle.

"What's agate of the Capt'n?" the men whispered. "He's quiet
to-night--quiet uncommon."

After a while Davy heaved up and followed L