ld go: anybody who could see
the expression of Mr. Brock's countenance at this event might judge of
the progress of the irresistible High-Dutch conqueror.

Being of a very vain communicative turn, our fair barmaid gave her two
companions, not only a pretty long account of herself, but of many other
persons in the village, whom she could perceive from the window opposite
to which she stood. "Yes, your honour," said she--"my Lord, I mean;
sixteen last March, though there's a many girl in the village that at
my age is quite chits. There's Polly Randall now, that red-haired girl
along with Thomas Curtis: she's seventeen if she's a day, though he is
the very first sweetheart she has had. Well, as I am saying, I was bred
up here in the village--father and mother died very young, and I was
left a poor orphan--well, bless us! if Thomas haven't kissed her!--to
the care of Mrs. Score, my aunt, who has been a mother to me--a
stepmother, you know;--and I've been to Stratford fair, and to Warwick
many a time; and there's two people who have offered to marry me, and
ever so many who want to, and I won't have none--only a gentleman,
as I've always said; not a poor clodpole, like Tom there with the red
waistcoat (he was one that asked me), nor a drunken fellow like Sam
Blacksmith yonder, him whose wife has got the black eye, but a real
gentleman, like--"

"Like whom, my dear?" said the Captain, encouraged.

"La, sir, how can you? Why, like our squire, Sir John, who rides in
such a mortal fine gold coach; or, at least, like the parson, Doctor
Dobbs--that's he, in the black gown, walking with Madam Dobbs in red."

"And are those his children?"

"Yes: two girls and two boys; and only think, he calls one William
Nassau, and one George Denmark--isn't it odd?" And from the parson, Mrs.
Catherine went on to speak of several humble personages of the village
community, who, as they are not necessary to our story, need not be
described at full length. It was when, from the window, Corporal Brock
saw the altercation between the worthy divine and his son, respecting
the latter's ride, that he judged it a fitting time to step out on the
green, and to bestow on the two horses those famous historical names
which we have just heard applied to them.

Mr. Brock's diplomacy was, as we have stated, quite successful; for,
when the parson's boys had ridden and retired along with their mamma and
papa, other young gentlemen of humbler rank in the villag