The homes of the most of them lay far away, but England was England;
and a many wept and the crowd wept with them at sight of their
tatters, for I doubt if they mustered a complete suit of good English
cloth between them.
Stimcoe, I need scarcely say, had given us a whole holiday; and
Stimcoe's and Rogerses met in amity for once, and cheered in the
throng that carried the home-comers shoulder high to the Town Hall,
where the Mayor had arrayed a public banquet. There were speeches at
the banquet, and alcoholic liquors, both affecting in operation upon
his Worship's guests. Poor fellows, they came to it after long
abstinence, with stomachs sadly out of training; and the streets of
Falmouth that evening were a panoramic commentary upon the danger of
undiscriminating kindness.
Now at about five o'clock I happened to be standing at the edge of
the Market Stairs, watching the efforts of a boat's crew to take a
dozen of these inebriates on board for the transport, when I heard my
name called, and turned to see Mr. George Goodfellow beckoning to me
from the doorway of the Plume of Feathers public-house.
"It's Coffin," he explained. "The old fool's sitting in the taproom
as drunk as an owl, and I was reckonin' that you an' me between us
might get him home quiet before the house fills up an' mischief
begins; for by the looks of it there'll be Newgate-let-loose in
Falmouth streets to-night.
Pages:
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70