TOM DRAW'S VISIT TO JPIKE fcfcoofc. 183 



Goshen butter, pilot bread, and porter, concluded the rare ban- 

 quet. A plate of devilled biscuit, and a magnum of Latour, 

 furnished forth the dessert, which we discussed right jovially ; 

 while Timothy, after removing Harry's guns from their post of 

 honor above the mantel-piece to their appropriate cases, stole 

 away to the stable to prepare his cattle, 



" Now, boys, " said Harry, "make the most of your time. 

 There is the claret, the best in my opinion going for I have 

 always prized Mac's black-sealed Latour far above Lynch's Mar- 

 gaux yes, even above that of '26. For Lynch's wine, though 

 exquisitely delicate, was perilous thin ; I never tasted it without 

 assenting to Serjeant Bothwell's objection, ' Claret's ower cauld 

 for my stamach,' and desiring like him to qualify it ' wi' a tass 

 of eau di vieC Now this wine has no such fault, it has a 

 body" 



" I don't know, Archer," interrupted Tom> " what that ere 

 sarjeant meant with his darned o di vee^ but I know now that 

 I'd a cussed sight rayther have a drink o' brandy, or the least 

 mite of applejack, than a whole keg of this red rot-gut !" 



" You've hit the nail on the head, Tom,' 5 answered I, while 

 Harry, knowing the old man's propensities, marched off in 

 search of the liquor-stand " It ivas brandy that the serjeant 

 meant !" 



" Then why the thunder didn't he say brandy, like a man 

 instead of coming out with his snivelling o di vee?" 



" Why, Tom," said I, in explanation, " he admired your fa- 

 vorite drink so much, that he used the French name as most 

 complimentary ; it means water of life /" 



" What, he watered it too, did he 1 I thought he must be a 

 darned poor drinkin' man, to call things out of their right 

 names precious little of the raal stuff had he ever drinked, I 

 reckon, watered or not o di veef Cuss all such Latin trash, 

 says L But here 't comes. Take a drop, doo, McTavish, it's 

 better fifty times, and healthier tew, than that eternal darned 

 sour old vinegar, take a drop, doo /'' 



" Thank you, 120," answered McTavish, well contented with 

 his present beverage, and after a pause went on addressing 

 Archer -" I wish to heaven you'd let me know what you were 

 up to I'd have gone along." 



" What hinders you from going now ?" said Harry. " I can 

 rig you out for the drive, and we can stop at the Carlton, and 



