The chairman grasped it:  ’You’re a hot-headed young fool, sir:  you’re an ill-tempered ferocious young ass.  Can’t you see another young donkey without joining company in kicks-eh?  Sit down, and don’t dare to spoil the fun any more.  You a tailor!  Who’ll believe it?  You’re a nobleman in disguise.  Didn’t your friend say so?—­ha! ha!  Sit down.’  He pulled out his watch, and proclaiming that he was born into this world at the hour about to strike, called for a bumper all round.

While such of the company as had yet legs and eyes unvanquished by the potency of the ale, stood up to drink and cheer, Mark, the waiter, scurried into the room, and, to the immense stupefaction of the chairman, and amusement of his guests, spread the news of the immediate birth of a little stranger on the premises, who was declared by Dr. Pillie to be a lusty boy, and for whom the kindly landlady solicited good luck to be drunk.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MATCH OF FALLOW FIELD AGAINST BECKLEY

The dramatic proportions to which ale will exalt the sentiments within us, and our delivery of them, are apt to dwindle and shrink even below the natural elevation when we look back on them from the hither shore of the river of sleep—­in other words, wake in the morning:  and it was with no very self-satisfied emotions that Evan, dressing by the full light of day, reviewed his share in the events of the preceding night.  Why, since he had accepted his fate, should he pretend to judge the conduct of people his superiors in rank?  And where was the necessity for him to thrust the fact of his being that abhorred social pariah down the throats of an assembly of worthy good fellows?  The answer was, that he had not accepted his fate:  that he considered himself as good a gentleman as any man living, and was in absolute hostility with the prejudices of society.  That was the state of the case:  but the evaporation of ale in his brain caused him to view his actions from the humble extreme of that delightful liquor, of which the spirit had flown and the corpse remained.

Having revived his system with soda-water, and finding no sign of his antagonist below, Mr. Raikes, to disperse the sceptical dimples on his friend’s face, alluded during breakfast to a determination he had formed to go forth and show on the cricket-field.

‘For, you know,’ he observed, ’they can’t have any objection to fight one.’

Evan, slightly colouring, answered:  ’Why, you said up-stairs, you thought fighting duels disgraceful folly.’

‘So it is, so it is; everybody knows that,’ returned Jack; ’but what can a gentleman do?’

‘Be a disgraceful fool, I suppose,’ said Evan:  and Raikes went on with his breakfast, as if to be such occasionally was the distinguished fate of a gentleman, of which others, not so happy in their birth, might well be envious.