or what should
happen. Upon being required by the Captain to supply more wine, he had
shaken his head, which it seems was not taken much notice of by the
sailor, and was preparing to reply, when he was anticipated by the
stranger. Lifting up his staff, and pointing with it at the table, he
said,

"Furnish no more strong liquor, good man Nettles, to these carousers.
Methinks they have already had more than enough for their souls' or
bodies' health."

"I will not gainsay thee, master Prout," said the host, "and will
obey, as becometh a man who respects Thee and thine office; but the
wine is good and can do no harm, as thou mayest convince thyself by
trial. I will pour thee out a cup."

"Nay," said Master Prout, "I need it not. I do stand amazed," he
added, bending his brows severely on the host, "that, a man professing
godliness, and one of the congregation, shouldst administer to the
carnal appetite till the graceless sinner is converted into a swine."

"Dear Master Prout, be not so hard on a friend. I knew not the
strength of my wine, or that these strangers were so unaccustomed to
drinking. The wine hath been but lately bought, being part of the
cargo of the Abstemious, and thou knowest I A indulge not, else I
should have been acquainted with its potency, and regulated things
accordingly. But thou seest the six have drunk only so many poor
bottles."

"Enough, goodman Nettles," answered Prout. "Remove, now, these
incitements to temptation, and after that will I drop a word of
friendly advisement into the ears of these offenders."

During this conversation a profound silence had prevailed at the
table--the three citizens recognising in the intruder one whose
authority it would be folly to resist, and the sailors apparently
confounded at the boldness of the interference, and curious to hear
what should pass between the landlord and his dictatorial visitor. But
when mine host, in obedience to an order from the latter, began to
take away the bottles and cups, Captain Sparhawk, who had sat leaning
on his elbow upon the table and eyeing the two, now seemed to think
that his dignity required some interference on his part.

"How now, my masters," he exclaimed. "What coil is this? Are we to be
boarded in this piratical way, and see all our stores and, provisions
captured without a blow? Run up the red cross, Wheat. Call all hands
to repel boarders, and follow me."

"Cease thy papistical babble; it doth vex my soul mor