eserve the embroidery to
secure a retreat.

MR. H. Your talking of a retreat, Mr. Marlow, puts me in mind of the
Duke of Marlborough, when he went to besiege Denain. He first summoned
the garrison--

MAR. Aye, and we'll summon your garrison, old boy.

MR. H. He first summoned the garrison, which might consist of about five
thousand men--

HAST. What a strange fellow is this!

MR. H. I say, gentlemen, as I was telling you, he summoned the garrison,
which might consist of about five thousand men--

MAR. Well, but suppose--

MR. H. Which might consist of about five thousand men, well appointed
with stores, ammunition, and other implements of war. Now, says the Duke
of Marlborough to George Brooks, that stood next to him--you must have
heard of George Brooks--I'll pawn my dukedom, says he, but I take that
garrison without spilling a drop of blood. So--

MAR. What, my good friend, if you give us a glass of punch in the
meantime, it would help us to carry on the siege with vigor.

MR. H. Punch, sir?

MAR. Yes, sir, punch. A glass of warm punch, after our journey, will be
comfortable. This is Liberty Hall, you know.

MR. H. Here's a cup, sir.

MAR. [_aside_]. So this fellow, in his Liberty Hall, will only let us
have just what he pleases.

MR. H. I hope you'll find it to your mind. I have prepared it with my
own hands, and I believe you'll own the ingredients are tolerable. Will
you be so good as to pledge me, sir? Here, Mr. Marlow, here is to our
better acquaintance. [_Drinks_.]

MAR. [_aside_]. A very impudent fellow, this! but he's a character, and
I'll humor him a little. [_Aloud_.] Sir, my service to you. [_Drinks_.]

HAST. [_aside_]. I see this fellow wants to give us his company, and
forgets that he's an inn-keeper before he has learned to be a
gentleman.

MAR. From the excellence of your cup, my old friend, I suppose you have
a good deal of business in this part of the country. Warm work, now and
then, at elections, I suppose?

MR. H. No, sir; I have long given that work over.

HAST. So, then, you have no turn for politics, I find?

MR. H. Why, no, sir; there was a time, indeed, when I fretted myself
about the mistakes of government, like other people; but finding myself
every day grow more angry, and the government no better, I left it to
mend itself. Sir, my service to you. [_Drinks._]

HAST. So that, with eating above stairs, and drinking below, with
receiving your friends within, amusing