47


"  Yes,"  said  the  gentleman  addressed,  with  his  little  beady
eyes,  glittering  like  a  toad's  upon  his  brown,  wrinkled  lace.  "  I
thank  my  stars  that  I  can  look  to  the  bottom  of  a  tankard  through
all  obstacles.  But  tliou  art  mighty  scriptural,  Humphrey  Red-
nape  ;  anybody  can  see  that  thou  hast  not  sojourned  at  Plymouth
for  nothing.  Marry  thou  hast  lent  an  ear  to  the  brethren  indeed."

The  face  of  the  lengthy  individual,  who  had  left  an  ear  upon
the  Plymouth  pillory,  was  suffused  with  passion  in  an  instant  at
the  phrase.  Clapping  his  hat  still  more  (irmly  upon  the  side  of
his  head,  and  shaking  his  clenched  fist  at  the  speaker,  lie  vocife
rated,  —

"  Peter  Cakebread,  have  a  care  —  if  thou  canst  swallow  every
thing,  marry  so  cannot  I.  Another  such  cowardly  allusion  to

As  the  unfortunate  Rednape  was  chafing  under  the  gibes  of
the  unpitying  Cakebread,  the  replenished  tankard  was  placed
before  him,  and,  without  more  ado,  he  buried  his  face  and  his
rage  together  in  the  comforting  fluid,  seeking  to  drown  the  voice
of  his  savage  tormentor.  As  his  countenance  emerged  from  the
tankard  after  a  very  satisfactory  and  refreshing  pull,  the  taunting
voice  of  Cakebread,  repeating  his  mockery,  struck  on  his  solitary
ear,  and  again  awakened  his  wrath.
"  Take  that,  thou  malicious  old  baboon,  to  stop  thy  infernal
chattering,"  roared  he,  dashing  the  flagon  full  in  his  enemy's
face,  and  then  hurling  the  flagon  itself  at  his  head.
Cakebread  escaped  with  the  shower  bath,  for,  ducking  his
head  with  agility,  he  avoided  the  huge  missile,  which  would
have  assuredly  put  an  end  to  his  joking,  if  it  had  hit  the  mark  at
which  with  hearty  good-will  it  was  aimed.
