“Landlord,” said Spriggs, who had seated himself in a chair, while Mr. Richard was adjusting his starched collar at the window;—­“Landlord! ve should like to have this ’ere game dressed.”

The Landlord eyed the ‘game’ through his spectacles, and smiled.

“Roasted, or biled, Sir?” demanded he.

“Biled?—­no:—­roasted, to be sure!” replied Spriggs, amazed at his pretended obtuseness:  “and, I say, landlord, you can let us have plenty o’ nice wedgetables.”

“Greens?” said the host;—­but whether alluding to the verdant character of his guests, or merely making a polite inquiry as to the article they desired, it was impossible, from his tone and manner, to divine.

“Greens!” echoed Spriggs, indignantly; “no:—­peas and ’taters.”

“Directly, Sir,” replied the landlord; and taking charge of the two leetle birds, he departed, to prepare them for the table.

“Vot a rum cove that ’ere is,” said Grubb.

“Double stout, eh?” said Spriggs, and then they both fell to a-laughing; and certain it is, that, although the artist has only given us a draught of the landlord, he was a subject sufficient for a butt!

“Vell!  I must, say,” said Grubb, stretching his weary legs under the mahogany, “I never did spend sich a pleasant day afore—­never!”

“Nor I,” chimed in Spriggs, “and many a day ven I’m a chopping up the ‘lump’ shall I think on it.  It’s ralely bin a hout and houter!  Lauk! how Suke vill open her heyes, to be sure, ven I inform her how ve’ve bin out with two real guns, and kill’d our own dinner.  I’m bless’d if she’ll swallow it!”

“I must say ve have seen a little life,” said Grubb.

“And death too,” added Spriggs.  “Vitness the pig!”

“Now don’t!” remonstrated Grubb, who was rather sore upon this part of the morning’s adventures.

“And the gardener,”—­persisted Spriggs.

“Hush for goodness sake!” said Mr. Richard, very seriously, “for if that ’ere affair gets vind, ve shall be blown, and—­”

—­In came the dinner.  The display was admirable and very abundant, and the keen air, added to the unusual exercise of the morning, had given the young gentlemen a most voracious appetite.

The birds were particularly sweet, but afforded little more than a mouthful to each.

The ‘wedgetables,’ however, with a due proportion of fine old Cheshire, and bread at discretion, filled up the gaps.  It was only marvellous where two such slender striplings could find room to stow away such an alarming quantity.

How calm and pleasant was the ‘dozy feel’ that followed upon mastication, as they opened their chests (and, if there ever was a necessity for such an action, it was upon this occasion,) and lolling back in their chairs, sipped the ‘genuine malt and hops,’ and picked their teeth!

The talkative Spriggs became taciturn.  His gallantry, however, did prompt him, upon the production of a ‘fresh pot,’ to say,