ondest of the
Artichokes, seizing him with an exultant pride which he affected to
hide under derogatory language; "was that you I seen in there jest now,
stompin' the frescoes off'n the ceilin'?"

"Altogether most entertaining jig that has been danced this evening,"
said one of Notely's broadcloth guests, very superciliously.

"Oh, I hain't danced none yit," said Captain Pharo, too confident to
show contempt; "only warmin' my spavins;" and he heartlessly turned the
complete flower in view for the further annihilation of the gentleman
in black.

"Ef I c'd 'a' got on my scuffs," said Captain Leezur, his sun-visage
showing against the crimson back of an easy-chair, "I don't know but
what I sh'd been 'most tempted ter jine the darnce myself. But no; I
couldn't pervail with 'em--so long sence I've wrarstled with 'em--so I
come right 'long in my felts."

"No, ye can't dance 'The Wracker's Darter,' that is, not as she orter
be danced, in felts," said Captain Pharo; "she 's a tune 't wants the
emphasis brought right down onto her; felts won't do it, nor scuffs
neither."

"That off foot o' mine kind o' b'longs to the church, anyway," said
Captain Leezur sweetly; "has for years; don't pain me much as I knows
on, but she ain't seound: if t'other one starts off kind o' skittish
she 's sartin to hold back----"

"Ye'd orter be thankful 't ye only has to contend with natch'al
diserbilities," interposed Captain Pharo, "'n' don't have any o' these
d--d ructions played on ye."

"Oh, by the way, what are 'ructions'?" inquired the guest of
supercilious temperament.

"Le' me see," said Captain Pharo; "you're the one 't Note said was from
Washin'ton, ain't ye? Washin'ton, D.C.?"

"Certainly."

"P'litical centre o' the United States of Ameriky?"

"Why, yes."

"An' you don't know what ructions be!"

Loud laughter greeted this sally; only the man who had been in
California sat moody, his basilisk eye fixed upon me.

"Then I'll tell ye what ructions be," proceeded Captain Pharo,
breathing stertorously through his pipe; "it's repealin' all our
optional acts, for one thing! We can't institoot an optional act down
here, but what you go an' repeal it!"

"Oh, stuff!" said the high and hot-headed young man, quite taken off
his level by the laughter round him; "I don't either!"

"I say ye do!" said Captain Pharo, waxing more and more wroth; "ye sets
some feller t' work there, 't never see salt water, t' make our laws
for us; '