Page:Marriott Watson--Galloping Dick.djvu/132

 should meet with some such rolling old rogue, as Sir Charles there, in the hiccups, why I warrant we should set ourselves up for life.”

Sir Charles stuttered, being indeed in the hiccups himself, as I saw, but her ladyship laughed louder, and being now gotten to her fourth glass, put her hand on mine.

“Lard,” says she, “an’ we be not already wed, which I have forgot, we’ll make a match of it, Ryder.”

I was fairly mellow myself by then, and I answered smart enough. “If your ladyship will,” says I cheerfully, “faith I’m for the noose to-morrow.”

Old Mawkin gave a little snarling laugh.

“I wonder at you,” he squeaked, “to hear you talk so boldly of nooses.”

“’Slife,” said her ladyship sharply, “and why should he not? Mercy! may not my husband-to-be converse of what he will in the house that shall be his?”

“Oons, what mean you?” asked Mawkin, with a hiccup, “a jest is a jest,” he says.

“And a sot is a sot,” she retorted quickly.