where, in defiance of the numerous questions and remarks addressed to him from all quarters, he seemed to fall into a reverie, during which he stole frequent and long looks at Cleaver, when he thought himself unobserved, as if he wished to scrutinize every feature of his countenance.

Cleaver, whose politeness amounted to no more than what a sailor commonly serves out to every one he meets on shore, as matter of course, pretty much in the same way as he does his guineas, eagerly returned to his deviled roes, without perceiving the strangely mysterious conduct of Brandywyn. But it did not escape Amherst, whose eyes had been rivetted upon the ruffian-looking seaman from the first moment of his entrance.

"Captain Cleaver," said Sir Alisander," you and Captain Brandywyn may have met before. Sailors are often jostled together by the jumble of accidents. It is not unlikely you may have seen one another on the shores of Italy for instance, or may be

"

No sooner had Brandywyn heard the name of Italy, than he started, and hastily interrupting the Baronet, stammered out, in a flurried,

but very earnest manner, "Italy! I never was in Italy in my life-at least I mean-that is I should have said-I never was at Naples."

66

Why," replied the Baronet, with his usual good-natured laugh, " nobody talked of Naples; yet, if I mistake not, since you have named it, I think I have heard you talk of the place."

"In troth, and so have I," said Deacon M'Candy, hiccupping as he spoke, for he was now beginning to get very drunk. "I swear-that is to say, in my faith, I'm sure, I've often heard ye crack o' that city, and mair by token, I've heard ye brag o' the braw maccaroni and the sugar confecks they manufactur' there; and I canna be mista'en, seeing these are articles mair especially in my line, ye ken, Captain, so that I canna but mind it."

66

Aye, indeed," said Macflae," and I remember hearing you tell of the eruption and eructations of that famous hill called Mount Vesuvius --and moreover, of that popish miracle of the liquifaction, or deliquation of the blood of their patron saint, whose name is like unto that of one of our months, but whether it be January or February, I cannot just remember at the pre

sent period or epocha. But surely, and of a truth, much more do I recollect to have heard you narrate of the curiosities and extraord'nars of that famous town, city, or metropolis."

Brandywyn seemed to fret inwardly at these remarks, vague and unmeaning as they were. But, like some wolf attacked by ignorant rustics and vulgar yelping sheep dogs, he roused himself; and with a loud, but apparently forced laugh, which increased the savage expression of the passion he could but ill conceal, he exclaimed,

66

Belay! belay!-what! will ye not allow a sailor to use the privilege of a traveller, and to cram a little? I tell ye, I may have been off the mouth of the bay of Naples, or perhaps in its mouth; but if ever I was ashore in the city, blast me, I say!-so let's have no more on't."

And so lifting a large stoup of claret to his head, he quaffed it off at one draught, and then muffling himself up in a cloak, the Neapolitan fashion of which particularly struck Amherst, and saying "Well, I must go and see what the Charming Sally is about; I shall have her in behours are over, so those who may want

fore many

to be customers will keep a look-out at the old place," he precipitately left the house.

Cleaver, who had at first paid little or no regard to Brandywyn, had his attention somewhat excited by the earnest and suspicious manner in which he denied having been at Naples. He had looked at him, and his face instantly struck him as not entirely strange to him, though he could not immediately remember where he had met with it. But he had now little time allowed him for cogitation; for the empty stoups began to rattle more frequently against the sides of the already half-hollow cask, and the discharge from the spiggot-hole nearly amounted to a conThe tongues of the revellers, too, began to ring such an incessant larum of nonsense, that nothing was to be distinguished in the general Babel of voices, except an occasional howl from some Bacchanal, raising a note louder than the rest, or the screeching verse of some ribald song, to which nobody listened, because every one wished to be the person listened to.

stant stream.

Sir Alisander himself, being naturally of a less buoyant and more even temperament than the rest, maintained a state of tolerable sobriety, but

could no longer preserve even the semblance of control over his troops, although he frequently thundered on the crazy boards with the end of his gold-headed cane.

"I wish to Heaven we could slip away from this boisterous scene," said he to Amherst; "but I dare not desert my post without giving dire offence I shall have a headache for a month af ter all this noise."

And truly it was indeed overpowering enough; every one striving to bring his own individual supposed talent into notice, and no one being disposed to yield the arena to his neighbour. Some half dozen to be sure there were, who, wiser than the rest, or perhaps more deeply overloaded with drink, lay snoring in different attitudes, with their arms and heads resting on the table. Now it was that Partenclaw, being very desirous to get up a glee, had ranged himself with Blutterbog and Windlestraw, like choristers upon a form, where they began to strain their throats in ineffectual endeavours to tune their voices, producing a jarring discord, very much improved by the drunken attempts of Deacon M'Candy, who was trying to roar out,