"So, Mr. Cregan," cried one, drying his eyes with his handkerchief, "modesty is one of those invaluable gifts with which nature has favored you?"
"I sincerely trust it may be no bar to your advancement," said another.
"Rather cruel," added a third, "to be balked for such a mere trifle."
"I say, Pike," added another, "I rather envy you the insinuated flattery of your discrimination. It would seem that you detected the precious metal here at once."
"What country do you come from, boy?" said a hard-featured old officer who had laughed less than the others.
"How can you ask, Chudleigh?" said another. "There's only one land rears that plant."
"There's a weed very like it in Scotland, M'Aldine," said the captain, with a grin which the last speaker did not half relish.
"You're Hirish, ain't you?" said a very boyish-looking ensign, with sore eyes.
"Very much so, I fancy," said he, laughing as though he had been very droll.
"I always heard your countrymen had wings; what has become of them?"
"I believe we used to have, sir; but the English plucked us," said I, with a look of assumed simplicity.
"And what is all that about the Blarney stone?" said another; "is n't there some story or other about it?"
"It's a stone they kiss in _my_ country, sir, to give us a smooth tongue."
"I don't see the great use of that," rejoined he, with a stupid look.
"It's mighty useful at times, sir," said I, with a half glance towards Captain Pike.
"You're too much, gentlemen, far too much for my poor friend Con," said the captain; "you forget that he's only a poor Irish lad. Come, now, let us rather think of starting him in the world, with something to keep the devil out of his pocket." And, with this kind suggestion, he chucked a dollar into his cap, and then commenced a begging tour of the room, which, I am ready to confess, showed the company to be far more generous than they were witty.
"Here, Master Con," said he, as he poured the contents into my two hands, "here is wherewithal to pay your footing at Mrs. Davis's. As a traveller from the old country, you 'll be expected to entertain the servants' hall,--do it liberally; there's nothing like a bold push at the first go off."
"I know it, sir; my father used to say that the gentleman always won his election who made most freeholders drunk the first day of the poll."