to mutter
among themselves, "What game is he agate of now?" "Aw, it's true." "True
enough, you go bail." "I wouldn't trust, he's been so reckless." "Twenty
thousands, they're saying." "Aw, he's been helped--there's that Mister
Loviboy, a power of money the craythur must have had out of him." "Well,
sarve him right; fools and their money is rightly parted."

Thus they croaked and crowed, and though Davy was devoting himself to
the drink he heard them.

A wild light shot into his eyes, but he only laughed more noisily and
talked more incessantly.

"Come, lay down, d'ye hear," he cried. "Do you think I care for the
fortune? I care nothing, not I. I've had a bigger loss till that in my
time."

"Lord save us, Capt'n--when?" cried one.

"Never mind when--not long ago, any way," said Davy.

"And you had heart to start afresh, Cap'n, eh?" cried another.

"Heart, you say? Maybe so, maybe no," said Davy. "But stow this jaw.
Here's my harvest home, boys, my Melliah, only I am bringing back the
tares--who's game to toss for it? Equal stakes, sudden death!"

The brewer tossed with him and won. Davy brushed the money across the
table, and laughed more madly than ever. "I care nothing, not I, say
what you like," he cried again and again, though no one disputed his
protestation.

But the manner of the cronies changed toward him nevertheless. Some fell
to patronizing him, some to advising him, and some to sneering at the
hubbub he was making.

"Well, well," he cried, "One glass and a toast, anyway, and part friends
for all." "Aisy there! silence! Hush? Chink up! (Hear, hear?) Are
you ready? Here goes, boys? The biggest blockit in the island, bar
none--Capt'n Davy Quiggin."

At that the raggabash who had been clinking glasses pretended to be
mightily offended in their dignity. They looked about for their hats,
and began to shuffle out.

"Lave me, then; lave me," cried Davy. "Lave me, now, you Noah's ark of
creeping things. Lave me, I'm stone broke. Ay, lave me, you dogs with
your noses in the snow. I'm done, I'm done."

As the rascals who had cheated and robbed him trooped out like men
aggrieved, Davy broke out into a stave of another wild song:

"I'm hunting the wren," said Bobbin to Bobbin,
"I'm hunting the wren," said Richard to Rob-bin,
"I'm hunting the wren," said Jack of the Lhen,
"I'm hunting the wren," said every one.

When the men were gone Lovibond came back by the window. The room was