o his seat. "Well, Tim, what
are you gaping at? Why don't you run for the clar't?"

"I didn't know," replied the other, "whether you'd like to use the
whole of it."

"Use the whole of it!" exclaimed his master--"what does the boy mean?
Why, Tim, what are you at?"

"Oh, sir," quoth the well-instructed rogue, "as the wine you brought
was but little, I thought you might not wish to use it all entirely
to-day." And then he whispered something in his master's ear, the words
of which we could not distinguish. The reply, however, showed, or
seemed to show, what had been said. "Nonsense, Tim, nonsense! you're
an ass, man; bring it up."

Tim accordingly disappeared, but soon returned with a basket
apparently full of straw; at the bottom of which, however, after some
considerable show of hunting, a couple of bottles were said to be
found. "Confound you, Tim, is this all?" said the host.

"It is, sir," lied Tim; "and in faith, sir," added he, still lying,
"it's one more bottle than I thought; for there was but a dozen when
we started from Derry a week ago; and you know, sir, you and the
collector on last Tuesday"

But the catalogue of circumstances which were intended to act as
buttresses to Master Tim's inventions was cut short by a peremptory
order to leave the room. This he did so soon as he had made a
circumbendibus to escape notice, and deposited the basket behind his
master's chair, muttering, as he put it down with a thump, "There's a
couple of bottles of as good wine as ever was uncorked."

The fresh broach was indeed so delicious that we could hardly believe
it was of the same vintage as that of the previous bin, though our
host assured us it was "the identical." Tim's basket well merited a
higher eulogium than he had given it; but while his reputation as a
judge of wine rose, his character for veracity fell in about the same
proportion, since we beheld, in due season, not merely two, but three,
and at last a fourth long-necked gentleman from Bordeaux emerge from
under the straw!

The trick played upon us by these confederates was now apparent
enough; but the wine, fortunately, was of that light and pure kind
which does not produce much effect on strong heads, and that of my
companion was proof against far greater trials than this. He was
indeed perfectly aware of what was passing; and though dearly loving
the wine, which was superior to any he had ever before tasted, yet he
had no notion of being made tipsy by