and
meaningless as he thought the toast) got up to thank them.

"I'm not going to spout," he said; "but boys must be boys, and there's
no harm in a bit of fun, I for one have enjoyed it, and am much obliged
to you for asking me; and now I call for a song."

"Wildney! Wildney's song," called several.

Wildney had a good voice, and struck up without the least bashfulness--

"Come, landlord, fill the flowing bowl
Until it does run over
Come, landlord, fill, etc."

"Now," he said, "join in the chorus!" The boys, all more or less
excited, joined in heartily and uproariously--

"For to-night we'll merry merry be!
For to-night we'll merry merry be!
For to-night we'll merry merry be!
To-morrow we'll be sober!"

While Wildney sang, Eric had time to think. As he glanced round the
room at the flushed faces of the boys, some of whom he could not
recognise in the dusky atmosphere, a qualm of disgust and shame passed
over him. Several of them were smoking, and, with Ball and Brigson
heading the line on each side of the table, he could not help observing
what a bad set they looked. The remembrance of Russell came back to
him. Oh, if Edwin could have known that he was in such company at such
a place! And by the door stood Billy, watching them all like an evil
spirit, with a leer of saturnine malice on his evil face.

But the bright little Wildney, unconscious of Eric's bitter thoughts,
sang on with overflowing mirth.

As Eric looked at him, shining out like a sunbeam among the rest, he
felt something like blood-guiltiness on his soul, when he felt that he
was sanctioning the young boy's presence in that degraded assemblage.

Wildney meanwhile was just beginning the next verse, when he was
interrupted by a general cry of "Cave, cave." In an instant the room
was in confusion; some one dashed the candles upon the floor, the table
was overturned with a mighty crash, and plates, glasses, and bottles
rushed on to the ground in shivers. Nearly every one bolted for the
door, which led through the passage into the street; and in their
headlong flight and selfishness, they stumbled over each other, and
prevented all egress, several being knocked down and bruised in the
crush. Others made for the taproom; but, as they opened the door
leading into it, there stood Mr Ready and Mr Gordon! and as it was
impossible to pass without being seen, they made no further attempt at
escape. All this was the work of a minu