" A hint that
appeared to strike the Captain very forcibly, for it struck him dumb.
A good-humoured contest between honest Joe Shelton, and Probert the
school-master, elicited some very comical exposures in the way of
recriminations. Joe, it would appear, is an artist in economy; and an
old story about a lobster raised Joe's ire to its height, and produced
the Lex taliones on Probert, ~337~~whose habits of frugality wanted his
competitor's humour to make them pass current. Transit, who had been
amusing himself with sketching the characters, had become acquainted
with a sporting Reverend, whose taste for giblets had proved rather
expensive; and who was most desirous of appearing in print: a favor
merry Stephen Godson, the lawyer, requested might also be extended to
him." "Ay," said John Portman, "and if you want a character for your
foreground rich in colour, my phiz is much at your service; and
here's George Brookes, the radical, to form a good dark object in the
distance." In this way the evening passed off very pleasantly. Our
friend had made the object of our visit to the Bowling Alley known to
some few of his intimates, circumstance that I have no doubt
rather operated to prevent a display of some of those good-humoured
eccentricities with which it is not unfrequently marked.
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