Reddy gave his last "a-hem!" and sang what he called
The graceful Greek, with gem-bright hair, Her garments rent, and rent the air;
"What a tearing rage she was in!" said old Growling in an under-tone.
With sobs and sighs And tearful eyes, Like fountain fair of Helicon!
"Oh, thunder and lightning!" growled the doctor, who pulled a letter out of his pocket, and began to scribble on the blank portions of it, with the stump of a blunt pencil, which he very audibly sucked, to enable it to make a mark.
For ah, her lover false was gone! The fickle brave, And fickle wave,
Combined to cheat the fickle fair. O fickle! fickle! fickle! But the brave should be true, And the fair ones too-- True, true, As the ocean's blue! And Ariadne had not been, Deserted there, like beauty's queen. Oh, Adriadne!--adne!--adne!
"Beautiful!" said the doctor, with an approving nod at Reddy, who continued his song, while the doctor continued to write.
The sea-nymphs round the sea-girt shore Mocked the maiden's sighs; And the ocean's savage roar Replies-- Replies--replies--replies, replies, replies.
(_After the manner of_ "Tell me where is fancy bred.")
With willow wand Upon the strand. She wrote, with trembling heart and hand, "The brave should ne'er Desert the fair." But the wave the moral washed away, Ah, well-a-day! well-a-day! A-day!--a-day!--a-day!
Reddy smiled and bowed, and thunders of applause followed; the doctor shouted "Splendid!" several times, and continued to write and take snuff voraciously, by which those who knew him could comprehend he was bent on mischief.
"What a beautiful thing that is!" said one.
"A little thing of my own," answered Reddy, with a smile.
"I thought so," said Murphy. "By Jove, James, you _are_ a genius!"
"Nonsense!" smiled the poet; "just a little classic trifle--I think _them_ little classic allusions is pleasing in general--Tommy Moore is very happy in his classic allusions, you may remark--not that I, of course, mean to institute a comparison between so humble an individual as myself and Tommy Moore, who has so well been called 'the poet of all circles, and the idol of his own;' and if you will permit me, in a kindred spirit--I hope I _may_ say the kindred spirit of a song--in that kindred spirit I propose _his_ health--the health of Tommy Moore!"