TOM draw's visit TO PINE RROOK. 193 



as I conceived, had never met liis eyes before — but, whether 

 he had been indoctrinated bj'^ previous feeds at Harry's 

 hospitable board, or had learned by his own native wit 

 the difficult lesson of nil admirari, he sat down without any 

 comment, thoug'h he stared a little wildly, when he saw 

 nothing eatable upon the table, except a large dish of 

 raw oysters, flanked by a lemon and a cruet of cayenne. 

 With most ineffable disdain, he waved off the plate which 

 Tim presented to him, with a "Consam you, I arnt a goin 

 to give my belly cold with no such chillin' stuff as that. 

 I'd like to know now. Archer, if this bees all that you're 

 a goin' to give us — for if so be it is, I'll go stret down to 

 the nigger's yonder, and git me a beef steak and onions?" 

 "Why, not exactly, Tom," responded Archer, when he 

 could speak for laughing — "these are merely for a whet to 

 give us an appetite." 



"A blamed queer sort of wet, I think — why I'd have 

 thought that ere rum, what McTavish took, would have 

 been wet enough, till what time as you got at the cham- 

 pagne — and, as for appetite, I reckon now a man whose 

 guts is always cravin — cravin — like yours be, had better a 

 taken somethin' dry to keep it down like, than a wet to 

 moisten it up more." 



By this time, the natives, which had so moved Tom's 

 indignation, were succeeded by a tureen of superb mutton 

 broth, to which the old man did devote himself most 

 assiduously, while Mac was loud in approbation of the 

 brouse, saying it only wanted bannocks to be i>erfection. 



"Cuss you, you're niver satisfied, you aint," Tom had 

 commenced, when he was cut short by *'The Sherry round 

 — Tim" — from our host — "you'd better take the brown, 

 Tom, it's the strongest !" The old man thrust his rummer 

 forth, as being infinitely the biggest, and — Timothy per- 

 sisting in pouring out the strong and fruity sherry into 

 the proper glass — hurst out again indignantly — 



"I'd be pleased to know. Archer, now, why you puts big 

 glasses on the table, if you don't mean they should be 

 drinked out of — to tantalize a chap, I reckon" — down 

 went the wine at one gulp, and the exquisite aroma con- 

 quered — he licked his lips, sighed audibly, smiled, grinned, 

 then laughed aloud. "I see — I see," he said at last; "you 

 reckon it's too prime to be drinked out of big ones — 

 and I dun' know but what you're right too — but what on 



