that evening,
dictated to her such songs as they wanted to hear.

It was of no use for her to refuse, for they insisted upon their
demands being complied with so noisily that the performance could not
proceed until they were ready. She stood there singing until she was
hoarse, while the entire company waited, in battle-array, for the time
to come when they should make their last appearance in the great
combat.

It was nearly half an hour before Nelly was allowed to go; and as soon
as she was clear of the stage the waiting forces rushed on, displaying
the most wonderful skill with their swords.

It would not be exactly correct to say that all of the company rushed
on, for Dickey made his appearance very carefully. Of course he was
obliged to come sideways, and he moved with great caution, lest he
should fall down again, thus working more damage to the covers of Mrs.
Green's wash-boilers. But he got on with the others, even if he was
slower in his movements, and soon was in the very midst of the mimic
battle, apparently the most wounded one there, judging from the blows
that were rained upon his armor.

The combatants had soon found out that their stage was hardly large
enough for the movements of an army of five with such long swords, and
that the greatest caution must be used to prevent serious injury to
some of them. Therefore, when Mopsey hit a resounding blow on the
front-piece of Dickey's armor with the back of his sword, all saw that
the din of battle could be represented in that way much better and
with less danger than by clashing their swords together.

And thus it happened that poor Dickey found himself in the midst of a
blood-thirsty crowd, each one pounding him on the chest or back, while
he was unable to parry the attack, save when some one incautiously
moved towards his sword-arm. He cried for mercy at the full force of
his lungs, while Mrs. Green shouted the same request because of her
tin-ware. The audience were equally divided in opinion as to whether
Macbeth had been punished enough, and still the blows were delivered
with such force and noise that one would have thought an army of
tinsmiths were at work.

How long this unequal combat might have gone on it is impossible to
say; for when Dickey found that he was likely to have no mercy shown
him so long as the audience was so well pleased, he dropped to his
knees, and then tried to roll off the stage. Of course, he could roll
over no more easily