"Nay, now you quarrel with an old friend, Mistress Dorothy."

"Take your hand off my shoulder, Ralph, you coaxing villain !—Ha, ha, I warrant you get naught but vinegar from me, for your treacle.-But come-you are a good child, and shall have of the best in this house :-I would only warn you to call for it mannerly, Master Ralph.”

"Our dame is a woman of mettle," said another of the company, as the landlady escaped from the planter and took her station behind the bar.

"What has become of that man Weasel ?" she inquired somewhat petulantly. "The man I am sure has been abroad ever since I left the house! He is of no more value than a cracked pot; he would see me work myself as thin as a broom handle before he would think of turning himself round."

"Garret is now upon the quay," replied one of the customers; "I saw him but a moment since with Arnold the Ranger."

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With some idle stroller,-you may be sure of that!" interrupted the hostess :-"never at his place, if the whole house should go dry as Cuthbert's spring at midsummer. Call him to me, if you please, Master Shortgrass.-Michael Curtis, that wench Matty Scamper has something to do besides listen to your claverings! Matty, begone to the kitchen; these country cattle will want their suppers presently.-Oh, Willy, Willy o' the Flats-for the sake of one's ears, in mercy, stop that everlasting twangle of your old fiddle !-It would disgrace the patience of any Christian woman in the world to abide in the midst of all this uproar !-Nay then, come forward, old crony -I would not offend you," she said in a milder tone to the fiddler. "Here is a cup of ale, and Matty will give you your supper to-night. I have danced too often to your music to deny

you a comfort ;-so, drink as you will! but pray you rest your elbow for a while."

"And there is a shilling down on the nail," said Driving Dick, as he and the fiddler came together to the bar at the summons of the landlady: "when that is drunk out, dame, give me a space of warning, that I may resolve whether we shall go another shot."

"Master Shortgrass told me you had need of me," said Garret Weasel, as he now entered the door ;-" what with me, wife Dorothy ?"

"Get you gone!" replied the wife-" you are ever in the way. Your head is always thrust in place when it is not wanted! If you had been at your duty an hour ago, your service might have been useful."

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"I can but return to the quay," said Garret, at the same time beginning to retrace his steps.

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'Bide you !" exclaimed the dame in a shrill voice-" I have occasion for you. Go to the cellar and bring up another stoop of hollands; these salt water fish have no relish for ale-they must deal in the strong:-nothing but hollands or brandy for them."

The obedient husband took the key of the cellar and went on the duty assigned him.

At this moment a door communicating with an adjoining apartment was thrown ajar and the head of Captain Dauntrees protruded into the tap-room.

"Mistress Dorothy," he said-" at your leisure, pray step this

way."

The dame tarried no longer than was necessary to complete a measure she was filling for a customer, and then went into the room to which she had been summoned. This was a little parlor, where the Captain of musketeers had been regaling himself for the last hour over a jorum of ale, in solitary rumination. An

open window gave to his view the full expanse of the river, now glowing with the rich reflexions of sunset; and a balmy October breeze played through the apartment and refreshed without chilling the frame of the comfortable Captain. He was seated near the window in a large easy-chair when the hostess entered.

'Welcome, dame," he said, without rising from his seat, at the same time offering his hand, which was readily accepted by the landlady." By St. Gregory and St. Michael both, a more buxom and tidy piece of flesh and blood hath never sailed between the two headlands of Potomac, than thou art! You are for a junketing, Mistress Dorothy; you are tricked out like a queen this evening! I have never seen you in your new suit before. You are as gay as a marygold: and I wear your colors, thou laughing mother of mischief! Green is the livery of your true knight. Has your good man, honest Garret, come home yet, dame ?"

"What would you with my husband, Master Baldpate! There is no good in the wind when you throw yourself into the big chair of this parlor."

“In truth, dame, I only came to make a short night of it with you and your worthy spouse. Do not show your white teeth at me, hussy,—you are too old to bite. Tell Matty to spread supper for me in this parlor. Arnold and Pamesack will partake with me; and if the veritable and most authentic head of this house-I mean yourself, mistress-have no need of Garret, I would entreat to have him in company. By the hand of thy soldier, Mistress Dorothy! I am glad to see you thrive so in your calling. You will spare me Garret, dame? Come, I know you have not learnt how to refuse me a boon."

"You are a saucy Jack, Master Captain," replied the dame. "I know you of old: you would have a rouse with that thriftless babe, my husband. You sent him reeling home only last night.

How can you look me in the face, knowing him, as you do, for a most shallow vessel, Captain Dauntrees ?"

"Fie on thee, dame! You disgrace your own flesh and blood by such a speech. Did you not choose him for his qualities?— ay, and with all circumspection, as a woman of experience. You had two husbands before Garret, and when you took him for a third, it was not in ignorance of the sex. Look thee in the face! I dare,-yea, and at thy whole configuration. Faith, you wear most bravely, Mistress Weasel ! Stand apart, and let me survey turn your shoulders round," he added, as by a sleight he twirled the dame upon her heel so as to bring her back to his view-"there is a woman of ten thousand! I envy Garret such store of womanly wealth."

"If Garret were the man I took him for, Master Captain," said the dame with a saucy smile, "you would have borne a broken head long since. But he has his virtues, such as they are,though they may lie in an egg-shell and Garret has his frailties too, like other men: alack, there is no denying it !"

"Frailties, forsooth! Which of us has not, dame? Garret is an honest man ;-somewhat old-a shade or so: yet it is but a shade. For my sake, pretty hostess, you will allow him to sup with us? Speak it kindly, sweetheart-good, old Garret's jolly, young wife!"

"Thou wheedling devil!" said the landlady; "Garret is no older than you are. But, truly, I may say he is of little account in the tap-room; so, he shall come to you, Captain. But, look you, he is weak, and must not be over-charged."

He shall not, mistress-you have a soldier's word for that. I could have sworn you would, not deny me. Hark you, dame,bring your ear to my lips ;- -a word in secret."

The hostess bent her head down, as the Captain desired, when he said in a half whisper, "Send me a flask of the best,--

you understand? And there's for thy pains !" he added, as he saluted her cheek with a kiss.

"And there's for thy impudence, saucy Captain !" retorted the spirited landlady as she bestowed the palm of her hand on the side of his head and fled out of the apartment.

Dauntrees sprang from his chair and chased the retreating dame into the midst of the crowd of the tap-room, by whose aid she was enabled to make her escape. Here he encountered Garret Weasel, with whom he went forth in quest of Arnold and the Indian, who were to be his guests at supper.

In the course of the next half hour the Captain and his three comrades were assembled in the little parlor around the table, discussing their evening meal. When this was over, Matty was ordered to clear the board and to place a bottle of wine and glasses before the party, and then to leave the

room.

"You must know, Garret," said Dauntrees when the servingmaid had retired, "that we go to-night to visit the Wizard's Chapel by his Lordship's order; and as I would have stout fellows with me, I have come down here on purpose to take you along."

"Heaven bless us, Master Jasper Dauntrees!" exclaimed Garret, somewhat confounded with this sudden appeal to his valor, which was not of that prompt complexion to stand so instant a demand, and yet which the publican was never willing to have doubted-" truly there be three of you, and it might mar the matter to have too many on so secret an outgoing"

"Tush, man,-that has been considered. His Lordship especially looks to your going: you cannot choose but go."

"But my wife, Captain Dauntrees"-

"Leave that to me," said the Captain; "I will manage it as