talk of? My blood and bile rose up against the rogue; but surely I
did not turn black in the face, or in the mouth, as the fellow calls
it?"

Whether Master Silas had some suspicion and inkling of the cause or
not, he rubbed his right hand along his face and lips, and, looking
upon it, cried aloud, -

"Ho, ho! is it off? There is some upon my finger's end, I find.
Now I have it,--ay, there it is. That large splash upon the centre
of the table is tallow, by my salvation! The profligates sat up
until the candle burned out, and the last of it ran through the
socket upon the board. We knew it before. I did convey into my
mouth both fat and smut!"

"Many of your cloth and kidney do that, good Master Silas, and make
no wry faces about it," quoth the youngster, with indiscreet
merriment, although short of laughter, as became him who had already
stepped too far and reached the mire.

To save paper and time, I shall now, for the most part, write only
what they all said, not saying that they said it, and just copying
out in my clearest hand what fell respectively from their mouths.

SIR SILAS.

"I did indeed spit it forth, and emunge my lips, as who should not?"

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.