“Hold your noise!”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

Jack, as he was called, bundled out of the chaise when the door was opened, with a movement so closely resembling what would have ensued had he been dragged out by the collar, that one was tempted almost to believe that such a feat must have been accomplished all at once by some invisible agency.

He then assisted the old gentleman to alight, and the landlord of the inn commenced the usual profusion of bows with which a passenger by a postchaise is usually welcomed in preference to one by a stage coach.

“Be quiet, will you!” shouted the admiral, for such indeed he was.  “Be quiet.”

“Best accommodation, sir—­good wine—­well-aired beds—­good attendance—­fine air—­”

“Belay there,” said Jack; and he gave the landlord what no doubt he considered a gentle admonition, but which consisted of such a dig in the ribs, that he made as many evolutions as the clown in a pantomime when he vociferates hot codlings.

“Now, Jack, where’s the sailing instructions?” said his master.

“Here, sir, in the locker,” said Jack, a he took from his pocket a letter, which he handed to the admiral.

“Won’t you step in, sir?” said the landlord, who had begun now to recover a little from the dig in the ribs.

“What’s the use of coming into port and paying harbour dues, and all that sort of thing, till we know if it’s the right, you lubber, eh?”

“No; oh, dear me, sir, of course—­God bless me, what can the old gentleman mean?”

The admiral opened the letter, and read:—­

     “If you stop at the Nelson’s Aims at Uxotter, you will hear of
     me, and I can be sent for, when I will tell you more.

     “Yours, very obediently and humbly,

     “Josiah crinkles.”

“Who the deuce is he?”

“This is Uxotter, sir,” said the landlord; “and here you are, sir, at the Nelson’s Arms.  Good beds—­good wine—­good—­”

“Silence!”

“Yes, sir—­oh, of course”

“Who the devil is Josiah Crinkles?”

“Ha! ha! ha! ha!  Makes me laugh, sir.  Who the devil indeed!  They do say the devil and lawyers, sir, know something of each other—­makes me smile.”

“I’ll make you smile on the other side of that d——­d great hatchway of a mouth of yours in a minute.  Who is Crinkles?”

“Oh, Mr. Crinkles, sir, everybody knows, most respectable attorney, sir, indeed, highly respectable man, sir.”

“A lawyer?”

“Yes, sir, a lawyer.”

“Well, I’m d——­d!”

Jack gave a long whistle, and both master and man looked at each other aghast.

“Now, hang me!” cried the admiral, “if ever I was so taken in in all my life.”

“Ay, ay, sir,” said Jack.

“To come a hundred and seventy miles see a d——­d swab of a rascally lawyer.”

“Ay, ay, sir.”