"Tell me boy," he said aloud, "do you know the Elfin-cave, with the little spring well in the corner, and garlands of honeysuckle hung at the entrance?"
"Oh yes! I go there once a-year with my mother; -- it is in the autumn season: she grows sad and seems ill about something; but after she has sat a while looking at one place of the cavern and praying in another, and muttering the name of some one; she grows more composed, and returns home. She will tell me, she says, the story of the cavern, some time. I am glad that she refuses to tell me now."
"Why so?" inquired the stranger.
"Because," said Morison, "I am but a boy, and there may be some wrong to right. But I maun go home, for Jeanie Rabson, of Howehoddom will be there, and I maun see her; for she is like anither mither to me. "

William, who had, we suppose, read the Story of Pyramus and Thisbe, or seen Shakespeare's drollery on the stage, here broke in with --
"Yes Ma'am, very foolish -- just like Pyramus and Thisbe."
"Pyramus and Thisbe" shouted Mrs. Manford, "who was they?"
"Oh, mother, never mind; you don't know any thing about Pyramus and Thisbe, they were two lovers, that used to talk through a crack in the wall, as they could not get nearer each other."
" Well , that was a funny way of courting to be sure . When I was a lass , we used to court through hedges, and under hay-stacks, and may be, now and then, got a bit of a frolic, snug and comfortable like , after the old folks were gone to bed. That's the sort of courting for me, and none of your whispering round a place like this, or through a cracked wall. -- Marry-come-up , a pretty sort of courting that is, to be sure !"
"Lord, how shocking vulgar that must have been! -- only to think of courting under hay-stacks, and talking through hedges. Why didn't you court in the drawing-roon, or green-house, or amongst the shrubs, or in the carriage, the same as we do?"
"Why, thee sees , Sally, there was no such a thing as those, then, and, I can tell thee , it's the nicest and most comfortable way after all. Me and our Thomas have had a hundred bouts at courting, on the old cut hay-stack, that used to stand, twenty years since, just in th' place where th' Lodge is now."

The inn was presently cleared of all but the landlord, who had stepped into an adjoining room, and the Jewish guest, who still remained in the parlour. The latter seized the opportunity of making his exit unperceived.
" What , host! " he said in a loud whisper; " mine coot sir, hosht !"
The landlord re-entered, surveying the Jew with a suspicious air.
"Can you tell me," said the latter, touching the landlord's arm in a familiar manner with the head of his cane, "where dosh that shentleman live -- that Mishter Fullarton?"
" Um ! -- You needn't ask. That gentleman is no bite , I can tell you; he's a Scotchman, an more than a match vor any Jew out o' Lunnun ."
"I know dat ; but tell, vhere dosh he live?"
"Go ask himself," said the landlord in a surly tone, as he turned away. "I like none of you Jews, I promise thee : I have lost money to your brethren myself, ere now."
" Stay a bit!" cried the stranger, seizing him by the arm; "maybe I could say something in your ear would made you like me betters ."
"I defy thee !" cried the landlord; "I know your tribe too well."
"Maybe you know myself ?"
"Know thee !"
The stranger gazed full in his face for some moments, and then stooping over his shoulder. whispered him in the ear. The words seemed to operate like a charm on the mind of the listener; he started back and gazed on the speaker with the liveliest expression of astonishment and pleasure.
"What! thee !" he said, -- " thee here in Taunton! Bee'st thee not afeard ? Hast thee vorgot so soon the land of Cock-an- Mwile ?"*
" Hisht , hisht ! I have now no time to answer questions. The times are changing fast, and thou shalt see it ere long, I promise thee : in a few days thou shalt know more. And now thou wilt give me the information I sought?"
The landlord complied, and the stranger, after laying the top of his staff against his lips in sign of secrecy, took his departure from the inn.
* Gaol

" Well ," exclaimed the landlord after he had a little recovered from his surprise, "there be some folks make no more of a halter than if it were a French cambric neckcloth. A change in the times, quoth-a ? It will be a change indeed, when the very bell-wether of all the rantypole Petitioners in Zummerzet can walk the streets o' Taunton at noonday in the sight of the king's dragoons. Well , there are zome folks that are gallas -mad: they hover about it as naatal as if they wor goin a sweetortin . If there bean't a match o' the kind in Taunton avore long, it won't be the fault of a body that I could name."

On turning, they observed a strange figure, which had passed the gate and was approaching the cottage. It was that of a Jew, well-favoured and of middle age, and with a beard and hair as black as coal.
" Mine goot ladish ," he said, taking off his hat with great respect, and bowing very low, " ish it Tone Cottage?" Ish Mashter Gaspar Fullarton's?"
Aquila answered in the affirmative.
"Here ish den ," said the stranger, taking a packet from his bosom, " lettersh , mine fair shweet young lady, from Mashter Sidney Fullarton, -- look you , for Mashter Gaspar his broder ."
"Come in -- come in," said Aquila eagerly, "and you shall see my father."
" Nay , I thank you, mine goot young lady, I have not times; but if you have lettersh for Mashter Sidney Fullarton, or persons, let them be at Lyme on the sea-coast at the full of the moon, and he shall find one ready to convey them."

"No, your honour," said the woman, somewhat subdued, when she saw the formidable appearance of Sir Percy's armed follower, and the graceful but athletic figure of the young man himself, but still speaking in a sulky and discontented voice; -- " no, ye'er honour -- but the shieling was bespoke; howsomever , I wash my hands o't , and, come what may, I shall neither mak' nor meddle i' the stoor ".

"[...] why do you wish to go there, may I ask?"
"That I may have the pleasure of visiting some of my family. I was born in Barbadoes, and taken to England whilst an infant."
"True Barbadian born!" shouted another the youngsters, in capital mimicry of Negro intonation.
" Needer Crab nor Creole, sar ," I answered, attempting the same tone.

"Ay, ay, my lady, I beg pardon; but, I say, let that artillery officer look at the miniature; I see he wants to overhaul it."
" Me take him off, sar , rectly , and show him wid pleasure," and she unclasped her golden cable -- " dere , sar , dat 's picture of dear Lord Rodney; he gib him to me wid his own hands in de year 82, just after he tump de French. Me berry piccaniny little ting den , but Lord Rodney lub me dearly, and make me his lady. -- Dere you see him look you full in de face -- you not able see his back. I know ebery bit of him sweet figure; and by Gor , I tink I neber saw a man wid such a large pig-tail in all my life -- he always wear pig-tail me tye him wid ribands bery often . Oh , he really clever body ! But no use cry now, he is gone to glory, up in heben -- me go to him 'fore long -- see him again, me sure . Hope to Goramighty he no cut off him pig-tail, cause me know him mong a hundred, 'twas such a big un . Well , I go shire . See you again to-morrow. Good by, gennelmen ."

"Now, Massa Easy, I hab a long tory to tell -- so I tink I better begin at the beginning."
"It is the most approved method," replied Jack; "but stop when I hold up my finger, that we may translate what you say to the lady and Don Philip."
" Dat all right, sar . Friar and I get on two mule as soon as it quite dark. He make me carry all tousand dollars -- and we ride out of town. We go up mountain and mountain, but the moon get up shine and we go on cheek by jowl -- he nebber say one word and I nebber say one word, 'cause I no speak his lingo, and he no understand my English . About two o'clock in de morning, we stop at a house and stay dere till eight o' clock, and den we go on again all next day, up all mountain , only stop once, eat a bit bread , and drink lilly wine. Second night come on, and den we stop again, and people bow very low to him, and woman bring in rabbit for make supper. I go in the kitchen, woman make stew smell nice, so I nod my head, and I say very good, and she make a face, and throw on table black loaf of bread and garlic, and make sign dat for my supper; good enough for black fellow , and dat rabbit stew for friar . Den I say to myself, stop a little; suppose friar hab all de rabbit, I tink I give him a lilly powder."
"The powder, Mesty?" exclaimed Jack.
"What does he say?" inquired Don Philip.
Gascoigne translated all that Mesty had communicated. The interest of the narrative now became exciting .

" It's my peculiar hopinion ," said Mr. Easthupp, one evening, pulling at the frill of his shirt, "that a gentleman should behave as a gentleman, and that if a gentleman professes hopinions of hequality and such liberal sentiments, that he is bound as a gentleman to hact up to them."
"Very true, Mr. Easthupp, he is bound to act up to them; and not because a person, who was a gentleman as well as himself, happens not to be on the quarter-deck, to insult him because he only has perfessed opinions like his own."
Hereupon Mr. Biggs struck his rattan against the funnel, and looked at our hero.
"Yes," continued the purser's steward, "I should like to see the fellow who would have done so on shore: however, the time will come, when I can hagain pull hon my plain coat, and then the hinsult shall be vashed hout in blood, Mr. Biggs."
"And I'll be cursed if I don't some day teach a lesson to the blackguard who stole my trousers."
" Vas hall your money right, Mr. Biggs?" inquired the purser's steward.
"I didn't count," replied the boatswain, magnificently.
"No -- gentlemen are habove that," replied Easthupp; "but there are many light-fingered gentry habout . The quantity of vatches and harticles of value vich ver lost ven I valked Bond Street in former times is incredible."