. Dicken's works . e; and the glasses were filled. The motionof the boat increased; several members of theparty began to feel rather vague and misty, andlooked as if they had only just got up. The younggentleman with the spectacles, who had been in afluctuating state for some time — at one momentbright, and at another dismal, like a revolving lighton the seacoast — rashly announced his wish topropose a toast. After several ineffectual attemptsto preserve his perpendicular, the young gentleman,having managed to hook himself to the centre legof the table with his left hand, proceeded asfollows:
. Dicken's works . e; and the glasses were filled. The motionof the boat increased; several members of theparty began to feel rather vague and misty, andlooked as if they had only just got up. The younggentleman with the spectacles, who had been in afluctuating state for some time — at one momentbright, and at another dismal, like a revolving lighton the seacoast — rashly announced his wish topropose a toast. After several ineffectual attemptsto preserve his perpendicular, the young gentleman,having managed to hook himself to the centre legof the table with his left hand, proceeded asfollows: — Ladies and gentlemen. A gentleman is amongus — I may say a stranger — (here some painfulthought seemed to strike the orator; he paused, andlooked extremely odd) whose talents, whose travels,whose cheerfulness — I beg your pardon, Edkins, hastily interruptedMr. Percy Noakes. Hardy, whats the matter ? iSTothing, replied the funny gentleman, whohad just life enough left to utter two SKETCHES BY BOZ. 131 Will you have some brandy ? « Ko, replied Hardy in a tone of great indigna-tion, and looking as comfortable as Temple Bar in aScotch mist; what should I want brandy for ? Will you go on deck ? No, I will notJ^ This was said with a mostdetermined air, and in a voice which might havebeen taken for an imitation of anything; it wasquite as much like a guinea-pig as a bassoon. I beg your pardon, Edkins, said the courteousPercy; I thought our friend was ill. Fray go on. A pause. Pray go on. Mr. Edkins is gone, cried somebody. I beg your pardon, sir, said the steAvard, run-ning up to Mr. Percy ISToakes, I beg your pardon,sir, but the gentleman as just went on deck — himwith the green spectacles — is uncommon bad, to besure; and the young man as played the wiolin says,that unless he has some brandy he cant answer forthe consequences. He says he has a wife and twochildren, whose wery subsistence depends on hisbreaking a wessel, and he expects to do
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