"
He found the bar-room crowded, but not with the usual Regatta Night
throng of all-sorts. The drinkers assembled were either burgesses
like himself or waterside men with protection-papers in their
pockets: for news of the press-gang had run through the town like
wildfire, and the company had given over discussing the race of the
day and taken up with this new subject. Among the protected men his
eye lit on Treleaven the hoveller, husband to Long Eliza, and Caius
Pengelly, husband to Ann, that had pulled bow in the race. He winked
to them mighty cunning. The pair of 'em seemed dreadfully cast down,
and he knew a word to put them in heart again.
"Terrible blow for us, mates, this woman's mutiny!" says he, dropping
into a chair careless-like, pulling out a short pipe, and speaking
high to draw the company's attention.
"Oh, stow it!" says Caius Pengelly, very sour. "We'd found suthin'
else to talk about; and if the women have the laugh of us to-day,
who's responsible, after all? Why, you--_you_, with your darned
silly song about Adam and Eve! If you hadn't provoked your wife,
this here wouldn't ha' happened."
"Indeed?" says the monkey-fellow, crossing his legs and puffing.
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