ck for a
little fresh air.

"I'll not budge," said Sam, positively. "Why, the best is yet to come."

Saying this, to the surprise of Robin, Sam rose, went forward to the
table, and asked permission to make a few remarks.

"Who is he?--what? eh!" exclaimed the chairman. "Turn him out," cried
one. "Sit down," cried another. "No, no, let him speak," cried a
third. "Don't you know it is Samuel Shipton, the great electrician?"

"Bravo! go on! speak out!" cried several voices, accompanied by loud
applause.

"Gentlemen," began Sam in his softest voice, "I regard this as one of
the greatest occasions of--of--my life," (_Hear! hear_! from a fussy
guest; and _Hush! hush! and then we shall hear here better_, from an
angry one). "I little thought," continued Sam, warming apparently with
his subject--or the heat, "little thought that on this great occasion I
could--could--I could--" (_would or should; go on, man_, from an
impatient guest).

"Oh, Sam, don't stick!" cried Robin, in an agony of anxiety.

"Who's that? Put him out!" chorused several voices indignantly.

"There, sir, you've put your foot in it at last," said the lugubrious
waiter.

Robin thought he referred to the interruption, but the waiter's eyes and
forefinger directed his attention to the soup tureen, which, in his
eagerness, he had sacrificed with a stamp. Finding that no further
notice was taken of the interruption, he listened, while Sam
continued:--

"Yes, gentlemen, I have some difficulty in starting, but, once set
agoing, gentlemen, I can keep on like an alarum clock. What nonsense
have some of you fellows been talking! Some of you have remarked that
you shall be able to exchange messages with England in a few hours.
Allow me to assure you that before long you will accomplish that feat in
a few minutes."

"Pooh! pooh!" ejaculated an irascible old gentleman with a bald head.

"Did you say `pooh!' sir?" demanded Sam, with a terrible frown.

"I did, sir," replied the old gentleman, with a contemptuous smile.

"Then, sir, take that."

Sam hurled a wine decanter at the old gentleman, which, missing its
mark, fell with a loud crash at the feet of Robin, who awoke with a
start to find Sam shaking him by the arm.

"Wake up, Robin," he said; "man, you've lost the best speech of the
evening. Come--come on deck now, you've had quite enough of it."

"Yes, an' done enough o' damage too," growled the lugubrious waiter.

So Robin became gradu