them hence to
Black's house the whole aim of my journey would be fulfilled. And why
not? I said; they will leave this place and go to their leader some
time--if not now, at least to-morrow; and why should I lose touch with
them? So far it was certain that my presence was undiscovered. The hag
had suspicion of me, but not in their way; the men were too busy, I
thought, talking of their own affairs to meddle even with their
neighbours. Dan knew on what business I had left the ship, and would
quieten Roderick's alarm for me. It was plain that fortune had turned
kindly eyes on me.

I sat sipping the beer and smoking an old clay pipe, which I found in
the breast-pocket of Dan's garment, doing these things to escape the
remarks which the neglect of them would have occasioned, when there was
some change in the bibulous entertainment as yet provided for us in the
drink-hole. The hag raised her voice, worn to a croak with long
scolding, and shrieked--

"Jack's a-going to dance for ye! Silence, pretty boys. Ho! ho! Jack the
Fire-Devil, will ye listen, then? And it's help me move the tables ye
will, Master Dick, or ye're no minister that I took ye for. Back, my
pretty gentlemen, lest I throw me vitriol on ye. Ha! but they love me
like their own mother!"

She poked round with her stick at the seamen's feet, compelling them to
fall back, and to make a ring for the dancer in the centre; and I saw
with no satisfaction that the foul-mouthed villain who was called the
"Ranter" came to give her his help to the work.

"Hoots, mither," he cried in his broadest Scots, "did ye mistake that I
was a gentleman frae the Hielands o' bonnie Scotland? And I'll be verra
glad to throttle some for a wee cup o' yer pretty poison. So ho! ye
lubbers, it's an ower-fine discoors for a summer Sawbath that my boot
will teach you. Mak' way, mak' way!"

Thus, with unctuous mockery and rough menace, the fellow followed the
fury round the room, and forced the drunken crew to the wall. He came
to my seat; but I buried my head in my hands, lest he should have
carried the memory of my face from Paris; and he passed, having taken
no notice of me as I hoped. Soon he had made a great ring for the
dancing; and one of the long mirrors opened, showing a door, whose
existence I had not suspected; and a great negro with a flaming firepot
entered the room. His entry brought applause; but he was a common quack
of a performer at the beginning, for he made pretence to e