and taciturnity, you
reptiles, or castigation shall result. Here, Paddy Sparable," he
added, rising up--"here, you nailroad, assume my office, and rule
the establishment till I return; and, mark me, as the son of a nailer,
sirra, I expect that you will rule them with a rod of iron--ha! ha! ha!"

"Ay, but Paddy Pancake's here to-day, sir, an' he's able to welt me; so
that's it's only leathered I'd get, sir, i' you plase."

"But have you no officers? Call in aid, I ordher you. Can't you make
Sam Scaddhan and Phiddher Mackleswig there two policeman get Pancake
down--flatten him--if he prove contumacious during my absence. Pancake,
mark me, obedience is your cue, or, if not, the castigator here is your
alternative; there it is, freshly cut--ripe and ready--and you are not
to be told, at this time o' day, what portion of your corpus will catch
it. Whish-h-h!--silence! I say. How do you do, Mr. Burke? I am proud of
a visit from you, sir; perhaps you would light down and examine a class.
My Greeks are all absent to-day; but I have a beautiful class o' Romans
in the Fourth Book of Virgil--immortal Maro. Do try them, Mr. Hycy; if
they don't do Dido's death in a truly congenial spirit I am no classic.
Of one thing I can assure you, that they ought; for I pledge my
reputation it is not the first time I've made them practice the Irish
cry over it. This, however, was but natural; for it is now well known to
the learned that, if Dido herself was not a fair Hibernian, she at least
spoke excellent Irish. Ah, Mr. Hycy," he added, with a grin, "the birch
is the only pathetic switch growing! Will you come in, sir?"

"No, thank you, Mr. Finigan; but perhaps you would have the goodness
to come out for a little;" and, as he spoke, he nodded towards the
public-house. "I know the boys will be quiet until you return."

"If they don't," replied Finigan, "the alternative is in no shape
enigmatical. Mark what I've already said, gintlemen. Sparable, do you
keep a faithful journal of the delinquents; and observe that there are
offices of importance in this world besides flagellating erudition into
reptiles like you."

He then looked about him with an air of vast importance, and joined Hycy
on his way to the public-house. Having ordered in the worthy pedagogue's
favorite beverage, not forgetting something of the same kind for
himself, he addressed Finigan as follows:--

"Finigan, I received a devilish queer letter from you to-day--take your
liq