Yes, Oliver-Noll, I mean-I once thought "Just the straightforward answer that I expected," said he, drawing her fondly to him. Thus was Rosa wooed and won! Rash old man that I am to describe the how! What novelist now dares detail at length a love-scene? Do we not always find the author backing out of the difficulty thus?" What they said, though highly interesting to themselves, would not be," &c. But I, with the imbecility of senility, have detailed all that they said, merely because it was interesting to the parties concerned, foolishly deeming that, if it were interesting to them, it might, for that very reason, be interesting also to others. How prolix I am! Lector, pardon, and read on. CHAPTER IX. "A man who would commit a pun would pick a pocket." SMELLFUNGUS. "Those only hate a pun, who are too dull to make, MUNDUNGUS. or too stupid to understand, one." THE surmise of Miss Belmont was perfectly correct. Mrs. Dredgely had written to Rubasore all that she knew about her meetings with the young Captain, and a great deal more; not that she wished to indulge in slander, but to keep up her reputation as a fluent letterwriter. How else could she have filled her three pages? Mr. Rubasore, when he received these unpleasant tidings, was fostering the end of his pigtail, and endeavouring, by all means, to recover his lost inches. A more important care now occupied his capacious mind. He ordered post-horses, and travelled, with all reasonable rapidity, to the little inn at the little fishing village, near Jaspar Hall. He did not like to present himself before his future wife until he had called in all the assistance art could afford to cover the ravages that forty-eight years will make upon a spare habit of body. As he was occupied over his tedious toilet, he observed the frigate's barge, and the boat's crew standing near her on the shingly beach. He cut himself with his razor. When he was fully dressed, and trying to look his youngest, whilst his ward and the Captain were astonishing Mrs. Dredgely by their communication at the hall, Mr. Rubasore walked down to the sea-side to see how the land lay. Inauspicious journey! There were two hands in the barge keeping her afloat. The rest of the crew and the coxswain were loitering about the beach, picking up stones and shying them into the water, and busy with other occupations that so plainly indicate the weariness of idleness. We may be occupied and idle too at once, Mr. Critic. Witness the time that you were employed in endeavouring to castigate this true history. Let us, for the want of some better employment, listen to the conversation of the seamen. "I say, Bill, d'ye think as how the Cap'an will drop down yet awhile?" "No, Bob, he won't heave in sight these three glasses." The trowsers were hitched up, turned, and there was again silence. the quid "Cox'un, my hearty," said a broad, thirstyfaced fellow, "d'ye think there's a grog-shop within hail ?" "No, there's none a-nigher than those tumbledown cribs they call a village. Besides, the Captain said we were not to leave the boat." "Well, good luck to him!" replied he of the broad thirsty-face. "Cox'un, let me run up to those houses and spell for a can of grog, just to drink his health, and show him how we respects his orders." 66 Now," said the coxswain, looking Portland stone-"now I'll tell ye my mind kindly, messmates. If any man starts from this boat, I'll just knock him down on the shingle, so fling me out one of the stretchers. Our skipper never sends a marine in the barge with a fixed bayonet to keep us from desarting, not even a petty officer with his dirk, so I stands upon honour. I likes honour, and I detests compulsion; I can't abide it. So devil a man shall start, say I, or I'll knock him over." "But what shall we do?" said another. "Cox'un shall be agreeable, and sing us a song." "That will I, my fire-eaters." Then, placing the stretcher between his legs in the manner that little boys ride a-cock-horse upon their grandpapas' canes, he began most dolefully to dole out the following ditty. How he could do |