"He speaks tamned nonsense," said the Captain, pulling out a huge, old-fashioned, turnip-shaped implement, with a blackened silver dial-plate. "It is not above three minutes after one by the true time, and I will uphold Mr. Tyrrel to be a man of his word--never saw a man take a thing more coolly." "Not more coolly than he takes his walk this way," said the Doctor; "for the hour is as I tell you--remember, I am professional--have pulses to count by the second and half-second--my timepiece must go as true as the sun." "And I have mounted guard a thousand times by my watch," said the Captain; "and I defy the devil to say that Hector MacTurk did not always discharge his duty to the twentieth part of the fraction of a second--it was my great grandmother, Lady Killbracklin's, and I will maintain its reputation against any timepiece that ever went upon wheels." "Well, then, look at your own watch, Captain," said Winterblossom, "for time stands still with no man, and while we speak the hour advances. On my word, I think this Mr. Tyrrel intends to humbug us." "Hey! what's that you say?" said Sir Bingo, once more starting from his sullen reverie. "I shall not look at my watch upon no such matter," said the Captain; "nor will I any way be disposed to doubt your friend's honour, Mr. Winterblossom." "_My_ friend?" said Mr. Winterblossom; "I must tell you once more, Captain, that this Mr. Tyrrel is no friend of mine--none in the world. He is your friend, Captain MacTurk; and I own, if he keeps us waiting much longer on this occasion, I will be apt to consider his friendship as of very little value." "And how dare you, then, say that the man is my friend?" said the Captain, knitting his brows in a most formidable manner. "Pooh! pooh! Captain," answered Winterblossom, coolly, if not contemptuously--"keep all that for silly boys; I have lived in the world too long either to provoke quarrels, or to care about them. So, reserve your fire; it is all thrown away on such an old cock as I am. But I really wish we knew whether this fellow means to come--twenty minutes past the hour--I think it is odds that you are bilked, Sir Bingo?" "Bilked! hey!" cried Sir Bingo; "by Gad, I always thought so--I wagered with Mowbray he was a raff--I am had, by Gad. I'll wait no longer than the half hour, by Gad, were he a field-marshal." "You will be directed in that matter by your friend, if you please, Sir Bingo," said the Captain. "D---- me if I will," returned the Baronet--"Friend? a pretty friend, to bring me out here on such a fool's errand! I knew the fellow was a raff--but I never thought you, with all your chaff about honour, such a d----d spoon as to bring a message from a fellow who has fled the pit!" "If you regret so much having come here to no purpose," said the Captain, in a very lofty tone, "and if you think I have used you like a spoon, as you say, I will have no objection in life to take Mr. Tyrrel's place, and serve your occasion, my boy!"