silent astonishment
till the waiter returned with a basket containing the wine, which, with
three long glasses, he placed on the table. The jockey then got up, and
going to a large bow-window at the end of the room, which looked into a
court-yard, peeped out; then saying, 'The coast is clear,' he shut down
the principal sash, which was open for the sake of the air, and taking up
a bottle of the champagne, he placed another in the hands of the
Hungarian, to whom he said something in private. The latter, who seemed
to understand him, answered by a nod. The two then going to the end of
the table fronting the window, and about eight paces from it, stood
before it, holding the bottles by their necks; suddenly the jockey lifted
up his arm. 'Surely,' said I, 'you are not mad enough to fling that
bottle through the window?' 'Here's to the Romany Rye: here's to the
sweet master,' said the jockey, dashing the bottle through a pane in so
neat a manner that scarcely a particle of glass fell into the room.

'Eljen edes csigany ur--eljen gul eray!' said the Hungarian, swinging
round his bottle, and discharging it at the window; but, either not
possessing the jockey's accuracy of aim, or reckless of consequences, he
flung his bottle so that it struck against part of the wooden setting of
the panes, breaking along with the wood and itself three or four panes to
pieces. The crash was horrid, and wine and particles of glass flew back
into the room, to the no small danger of its inmates. 'What do you think
of that?' said the jockey. 'Were you ever so honoured before?'
'Honoured!' said I. 'God preserve me in future from such honour;' and I
put my finger to my cheek, which was slightly hurt by a particle of the
glass. 'That's the way we of the cofrady honour great men at
Horncastle,' said the jockey. 'What, you are hurt! never mind; all the
better, your scratch shows that you are the body the compliment was paid
to.' 'And what are you going to do with the other bottle?' said I. 'Do
with it!' said the jockey, 'why, drink it, cosily and comfortably, whilst
holding a little quiet talk. The Romany Rye at Horncastle, what an
idea!'

'And what will the master of the house say to all this damage which you
have caused him?'

'What will your master say, William?' said the jockey to the waiter, who
had witnessed the singular scene just described without exhibiting the
slightest mark of surprise. William smiled, and slightly shrugging