miling blandly.

"Well, I'll tell you, and add another wrinkle to your face. Mediocria
firma, when applied to Bacon, means nothing more nor less than sound
middlings. But I tell you what, this young mad-cap, Bacon, will have to
adopt the motto of another namesake of his, and ancestor, perhaps, for
friars aye regarded their tithes more favourably than their vows of
virtue--and were fathers in the church as well by the first as the
second birth."

"What ancestor do you allude to now, Dick?" asked the Governor.

"Why, old Friar Bacon, who lamented that time was, time is, and time
will be. And to my mind, when time shall cease with our young squealing
porker here, we will e'en substitute hemp in its stead."

"Thou art a mad wag, Presley," said the Governor, laughing, "and seem to
have sharpened thy wit by strapping it on the Bible containing the whole
Bacon genealogy. Come, Temple, let me introduce to your most favourable
acquaintance, Major Richard Presley, the Falstaff of Virginia, with as
big a paunch, and if not as merry a wit, at least as great a love for
sack--aye, Presley?"

"Yes, but indifferent honest, Governor, which I fear my great prototype
was not," replied the old wag, as he shook hands with Colonel Temple.

"Well, I believe you can be trusted, Dick," said the Governor, kindly,
"and I may yet give you a regiment of foot to quell this modern young
Hotspur of Virginia."

"Aye, that would be rare fun," said Presley, with a merry laugh, "but
look ye, I must take care to attack him in as favourable circumstances
as the true Falstaff did, or 'sblood he might embowell me."

"I would like to own the tobacco that would be raised over your grave
then, Dick," said the Governor, laughing, "but never fear but I will
supply you with a young Prince Hal, as merry, as wise, and as brave."

"Which is he, then? for I can't tell your true prince by instinct yet."

"There he stands talking to Miss Virginia Temple. You know him, Colonel
Temple, and I trust that you have not found that my partiality has
overrated his real merit."

"By no means," returned Temple; "I never saw a young man with whom I was
more pleased. He is at once so ingenuous and frank, and so intelligent
and just in his views and opinions on all subjects--who is he, Sir
William? One would judge, from his whole mien and appearance, that noble
blood ran in his veins."

"I believe not," replied Berkeley, "or if so, as old Presley would say,
he was hatche