At last tea was ready, and we all went in.  The Lintons and Greggs are people of the world, who would hardly have cared to wait for a blessing on such lovely heaps of strawberries and mugs of cream as they saw before them; but, there being two clergymen at the table, the ceremony was evidently expected.  We were placidly seated; there was a hush, agreeably filled with the fragrance of the delicious fruit:  even my uncle Popworth, from long habit, turned off his talk at that suggestive moment:  when I did what I thought a shrewd thing.  I knew too well my relative’s long-windedness at his devotions, as at everything else (I wonder if Heaven itself isn’t bored by such fellows!)—­I had suffered, I had seen my guests suffer, too much from him already,—­to think of deliberately yielding him a fearful advantage over us; so I coolly passed him by, and gave an expressive nod to the old Doctor.

Wortleby began; and I was congratulating myself on my adroit management of a delicate matter, when—­conceive my consternation!—­Popworth—­not to speak it profanely—­followed suit!  The reverend egotist couldn’t take in the possibility of anybody but himself being invited to say grace at our table, he being present;—­he hadn’t noticed my nod to the Doctor, and the Doctor’s low, earnest voice didn’t reach him;—­and there, with one blessing going on one side of the table, he, as I said, pitched in on the other!  His eyes shut, his hands spread over his plate, his elbows on the board, his head bowed, he took care that grace should abound with us for once!  His mill started, I knew there was no stopping it, and I hoped Wortleby would desist.  But he didn’t know his man.  He seemed to feel that he had the stroke-oar, and he pulled away manfully.  As Popworth lifted up his loud, nasal voice, the old Doctor raised his voice, in the vain hope, I suppose, of making himself heard by his lusty competitor.  If you have never had two blessings running opposition at your table, in the presence of invited guests, you can never imagine how astounding, how killingly ludicrous it was!  I felt that both Linton and Gregg were ready to tumble over, each in an apoplexy of suppressed emotions; while I had recourse to my handkerchief to hide my tears.  At length, poor Wortleby yielded to fate,—­withdrew from the unequal contest—­hauled off—­for repairs; and the old seventy-two gun-ship thundered away in triumph.

At last (as there must be an end to everything under the sun) my uncle came to a close; and a moment of awful silence ensued, during which no man durst look at another.  But in my weak and jelly-like condition I ventured a glance at him, and noticed that he looked up and around with an air of satisfaction at having performed a solemn duty in a becoming manner, blissfully unconscious of having run a poor brother off the track.  Seeing us all with moist eyes and much affected,—­two or three handkerchiefs still going,—­he no doubt flattered himself that the pathetic touches in his prayer had told.