very stanza as loud as he could, and finished it in a gentle
murmur--tailed it off very taper, indeed; in short, it seemed as if a
shout had been suddenly smitten with consumption, and died in a
whisper. And this, his style, he never varied, whatever the nature or
expression of the song might be, or the sense to be expressed; but as
he very often sang his own, there were seldom any to consider. This
rubbish he had set to music by the country music-master, who believed
himself to be a better composer than Sir John Stevenson, to whom the
prejudices of the world gave the palm; and he eagerly caught at the
opportunity which the verses and vanity of Reddy afforded him, of
stringing his crotchets and quavers on the same hank with the abortive
fruits of Reddy's muse, and the wretched productions hung worthily
together.

Reddy, with the proper quantity of "hems and haws," and rubbing down
his upper lip and chin with his forefinger and thumb, cleared his
throat, tossed his nose into the air, and said he was going to give
them "a little _classic_ thing."

"Just look at the puppy!" snarled out old Growling to his neighbour:
"he's going to measure us out some yards of his own fustian, I'm
sure--he looks so pleased."

Reddy gave his last "a-hem!" and sang what he called

THE LAMENT OF ARIADNE

The graceful Greek, with gem-bright hair,
Her garments rent, and rent the air;

"What a tearing rage she was in!" said old Growling in an under-tone.

With sobs and sighs
And tearful eyes,
Like fountain fair of Helicon!

"Oh, thunder and lightning!" growled the doctor, who pulled a letter
out of his pocket, and began to scribble on the blank portions of it,
with the stump of a blunt pencil, which he very audibly sucked, to
enable it to make a mark.

For ah, her lover false was gone!
The fickle brave,
And fickle wave,

"And pickled cabbage," said the doctor.

Combined to cheat the fickle fair.
O fickle! fickle! fickle!
But the brave should be true,
And the fair ones too--
True, true,
As the ocean's blue!
And Ariadne had not been,
Deserted there, like beauty's queen.
Oh, Adriadne!--adne!--adne!

"Beautiful!" said the doctor, with an approving nod at Reddy, who
continued his song, while the doctor continued to write.

The sea-nymphs round the sea-girt shore
Mocked the maiden's sighs;
And the ocean's savage roar