o come by money as lightly as thou dost, Mike."

"Why, uncle," said Lambourne, "I will tell thee a secret. Dost see this
little old fellow here? as old and withered a chip as ever the devil put
into his porridge--and yet, uncle, between you and me--he hath Potosi
in that brain of his--'sblood! he can coin ducats faster than I can vent
oaths."

"I will have none of his coinage in my purse, though, Michael," said
mine host; "I know what belongs to falsifying the Queen's coin."

"Thou art an ass, uncle, for as old as thou art.--Pull me not by the
skirts, doctor, thou art an ass thyself to boot--so, being both asses, I
tell ye I spoke but metaphorically."

"Are you mad?" said the old man; "is the devil in you? Can you not let
us begone without drawing all men's eyes on us?"

"Sayest thou?" said Lambourne. "Thou art deceived now--no man shall see
you, an I give the word.--By heavens, masters, an any one dare to look
on this old gentleman, I will slash the eyes out of his head with
my poniard!--So sit down, old friend, and be merry; these are mine
ingles--mine ancient inmates, and will betray no man."

"Had you not better withdraw to a private apartment, nephew?" said
Giles Gosling. "You speak strange matter," he added, "and there be
intelligencers everywhere."

"I care not for them," said the magnanimous Michael--"intelligencers?
pshaw! I serve the noble Earl of Leicester.--Here comes the wine.--Fill
round, Master Skinker, a carouse to the health of the flower of England,
the noble Earl of Leicester! I say, the noble Earl of Leicester! He that
does me not reason is a swine of Sussex, and I'll make him kneel to the
pledge, if I should cut his hams and smoke them for bacon."

None disputed a pledge given under such formidable penalties; and
Michael Lambourne, whose drunken humour was not of course diminished
by this new potation, went on in the same wild way, renewing his
acquaintance with such of the guests as he had formerly known, and
experiencing a reception in which there was now something of deference
mingled with a good deal of fear; for the least servitor of the
favourite Earl, especially such a man as Lambourne, was, for very
sufficient reasons, an object both of the one and of the other.

In the meanwhile, the old man, seeing his guide in this uncontrollable
humour, ceased to remonstrate with him, and sitting down in the most
obscure corner of the room, called for a small measure of sack, over
which he seem