then, as a matter of course, spirits and water and cigars
were produced, "just to prevent the oysters from disagreeing with us";
and we sat talking over old times, and relating various adventures which
had occurred to us since, without troubling our heads about the flight
of minutes. At length Coleman, pulling out his watch, exclaimed: "Past
four o'clock, by the powers! I must be getting to bed--I've got a lease
to draw to-morrow, and my head won't be over-clear as it is."

"Nonsense," replied Lawless; "bed's all a popular delusion; we can't be
better off than we are--sit still." But on Coleman's persisting in his
wish to depart, Lawless continued: "Well, take another glass, and then
Frank and I will walk home with you, and see you safe, for it's my
belief that you're getting 'screwed.,' or you'd never think of going to
bed". Freddy and I exchanged glances, for if any of our party were in
the condition expressed by the mysterious word "screwed," it certainly
was Lawless himself. After sitting some little time longer, we once more
sallied forth, with the avowed intention of seeing Coleman home. ~129~~

CHAPTER XV -- RINGING THE CURFEW

"If the bell have any sides the clapper will find 'em."--
--_Ben Jonson_.

"----ringing changes all our bells hath marr'd,
Jangled they have and jarr'd
So long, they're out of tune, and out of frame;

They seem not now the same.
Put them in frame anew, and once begin
To tune them so, that they may chime all in."
--_Herbert_.

"Great then are the mysteries of bell-ringing: and this may
be said in its praise, that of all devices which men have sought
out for obtaining distinction by making a noise in the world, it
is the most harmless."
--_The Doctor_.

AS we proceeded through the town Lawless, despite our endeavours to
restrain him, chose to vent his superabundant spirits by performing
sundry feats at the expense of the public, which, had the police
regulations of the place been properly attended to, would have assuredly
gained us a sojourn in the watch-house. We had just prevailed upon him
to move on, after singing "We won't go home till morning" under the
windows of "the Misses Properprim's Seminary for Young Ladies," when
a little shrivelled old man, in a sort of watchman's white greatcoat,
bearing a horn lantern in his hand, brushed past us, and preceded us
down the street at a shuffling trot.

"Hol