Peppercorn's opinions.How did they accomplish that now, think you?""Lud! sir, I suppose they talked `im over.Those Frenchies, I've `eard it said, `ave got the gift of gab--and Mr.`Empseed `ere will tell you `ow it is that they just twist some people round their little finger like.""Indeed, and is that so, Mr.Hempseed?" inquired the stranger politely.
"Nay, sir!" replied Mr.Hempseed, much irritated, "I dunno as I can give you the information you require.""Faith, then," said the stranger, "let us hope, my worthy host, that these clever spies will not succeed in upsetting your extremely loyal opinions."But this was too much for Mr.Jellyband's pleasant equanimity.
He burst into an uproarious fit of laughter, which was soon echoed by those who happened to be in his debt.
"Hahaha! hohoho! hehehe!" He laughed in every key, did my worthy host, and laughed until his sided ached, and his eyes streamed.
"At me! hark at that! Did ye `ear `im say that they'd be upsettin'
my opinions?--Eh?--Lud love you, sir, but you do say some queer things.""Well, Mr.Jellyband," said Mr.Hempseed, sententiously, "you know what the Scriptures say: `Let `im `oo stands take `eed lest `e fall.'""But then hark'ee Mr.`Empseed," retorted Jellyband, still holding his sides with laughter, "the Scriptures didn't know me.Why, I wouldn't so much as drink a glass of ale with one o' them murderin'
Frenchmen, and nothin' `d make me change my opinions.Why! I've `eard it said that them frog-eaters can't even speak the King's English, so, of course, if any of `em tried to speak their God-forsaken lingo to me, why, I should spot them directly, see!--and forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.""Aye! my honest friend," assented the stranger cheerfully, "Isee that you are much too sharp, and a match for any twenty Frenchmen, and here's to your very good health, my worthy host, if you'll do me the honour to finish this bottle of mine with me.""I am sure you're very polite, sir," said Mr.Jellyband, wiping his eyes which were still streaming with the abundance of his laughter, "and I don't mind if I do."The stranger poured out a couple of tankards full of wine, and having offered one to mine host, he took the other himself.
"Loyal Englishmen as we all are," he said, whilst the same humorous smile played round the corners of his thin lips--"loyal as we are, we must admit that this at least is one good thing which comes to us from France.""Aye! we'll none of us deny that, sir," assented mine host.
"And here's to the best landlord in England, our worthy host, Mr.Jellyband," said the stranger in a loud tone of voice.
"Hi, hip, hurrah!" retorted the whole company present.Then there was a loud clapping of hands, and mugs and tankards made a rattling music upon the tables to the accompaniment of loud laughter at nothing in particular, and of Mr.Jellyband's muttered exclamations:
"Just fancy ME bein' talked over by any God-forsaken furriner!--What?--Lud love you, sir, but you do say some queer things."To which obvious fact the stranger heartily assented.It was certainly a preposterous suggestion that anyone could ever upset Mr.
Jellyband's firmly-rooted opinions anent the utter worthlessness of the inhabitants of the whole continent of Europe.
