212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 173
" The Firmin Arms is honoured by having such supporters !"
says Phil, glaring, and with a heaving chest. At each moment
he was growing more and more angry with that parson.
At a certain stage of conviviality Phil was fond of talking of
his pedigree ; and though a professor of very liberal opinions, was
not a little proud of some of his ancestors.
" Oh, come, I say ! Sink the heraldry !" cries Lord Egham.
" I am very sorry ! I would do anything to oblige you, but
I can't help being a gentleman !" growls Philip.
" Oh, I say! if you intend to come King Richard III. over
us ________ " breaks out my Lord.
" Egham! your ancestors were sweeping counters when mine
stood by King Richard in that righteous fight !" shouts Philip.
That monarch had conferred lands upon the Ringwood family.
Richard III. was Philip's battle-horse; when he trotted it after
dinner he was splendid in his chivalry.
" Oh, I say ! If you are to saddle White Surrey, fight Bosworth
Field, and murder the kids in the Tower !" continues Lord
Egham.
"Serve the little brutes right!" roars Phil. "They were no
more heirs of the blood royal of England than _________ "
" I daresay ! Only I'd rather have a song now the old boy
is gone. I say, you fellows, chant something, do now ! Bar all
this row about Bosworth Field and Richard the Third ! Always
does it when he's beer on board—always does it, give you my
honour !" whispers the young nobleman to his neighbour.
" l am a fool ! I am a fool !" cries Phil, smacking his forehead.
"There are moments when the wrongs of my race will intervene.
It's not your fault, Mr. What-d'ye-call-'im, that you alluded to
my arms in a derisive manner. I bear you no malice ! Nay, I
ask your pardon ! Nay, I pledge you in this claret, which is good,
though it's my governor's. In our house everything isn't, hum _______
Bosh ! it's twenty-five claret, sir ! Egham's father gave him a
pipe of it for saving a life which might be better spent ; and I believe
the apothecary would have pulled you through, Egham, just
as well as my governor. But the wine's good ! Good ! Brice,
some more claret ! A song ! Who spoke of a song 1 Warble us
something, Tom Dale ! A song, a song, a song !"
Whereupon the exquisite ditty of "Moonlight on the Tiles"
was given by Tom Dale with all his accustomed humour. Then
politeness demanded that our host should sing one of his songs, and
as I have heard him perform it many times, I have the privilege
of here reprinting it: premising that the tune and chorus were
taken from a German song-book, which used to delight us melodious