and if it was
serious, it certainly seemed very bad taste. But "His Royal Majesty" was
in a very gracious mood, and continued to run on in his most gay and
affable strain. He wandered round among the company and offered the bottle
to each in turn. When they all refused he seemed both surprised and hurt.

"Shure it's whiskey, so it is," he said, as though that would remove all
objections; but this information did not produce any effect.

"Perhaps it's a tumbler ye'll be wantin'," said he. "Well, well, we're
sorry we haven't got one; but if ye'll take a taste out av the bottle
ye'll foind it moighty convaynient."

Here the monarch paused, and, raising the bottle to his own royal lips,
took a long draught. As he swallowed the liquid his eyes closed and his
face assumed an expression of rapture. He then offered it to all once
more, and mourned over them because they refused.

"Oh, but it's the divoine dhrink!" said he. Then he grew merrier, and
began to sing:

"Oh, Shakspeare, Homer, an' all the poets
Have sung for ages the praise av woine;
But if they iver had tasted whiskey,
They'd have called it the only dhrink divoine.

"Oh, wud ye have a receipt for toddy?
Av whiskey ye take a quart, I think;
Thin out av a pint av bilin' wather
Ivery dhrop ye add will spile the dhrink!"

Ashby had been talking with Dolores for some time. He now came forward,
Dolores hanging on his arm.

"Sir," said he to "His Majesty," "I suppose we must again consider
ourselves your prisoners?"

"Divvle a doubt av it," said "His Majesty," with a wink at Dolores.

"The other time," said Ashby, "you named a ransom, and said that on the
payment of that sum you would allow us our liberty. Will you now name a
sum again--some sum that I can pay? I engage to have it in less than a
week, provided that you send this lady in safety to Vittoria. She can
procure the money for me, and until then I shall remain your prisoner."

"Well, that's fair," said "His Majesty."

"Will you do it?"

"Begorra, I will."

"Will you name the sum?"

"I'll think about it."

At this Ashby went back with Dolores to his former position, and they
resumed their conversation. But Harry had heard every word, and he now
came up, with Katie clinging to him.

"Sir," said he, "will you allow me to procure my ransom in the same way?
Will you allow this lady to go in company with the other, so as to procure
the amount needed for my deliverance