With the departure of the watch, peace fell upon the company for a while; a dice box was produced and some packs of cards, but play lasted a very short time and was voted too confoundedly dull for so joyful an evening. So more songs were sung, and it was exceedingly pleasant to hear these young gentlemen shouting the refrains and hammering Encores upon the polished mahogany table. It was exceedingly pleasant to see the wigs on their knees and the long clay pipes keeping time to the tune; but perhaps the pleasantest sight of all was the two sleepy waiters who leaned against the jambs of the door and, with kindly grins on their tired faces, tapped their flat feet to the more alluring measures. The night was wearing away when somebody called 'Vernon for a song!' The latter, to tell the truth, had felt out of his element, except during the brief interval of play, but on being called upon to occupy the centre of the room, he cheered up and announced his very great pleasure in acceding to the gentlemen's request. I wonder if you are at all sorry for Mr. Vernon. He was very lonely sitting in his high armchair at the head of the table. I wonder if you will forgive him for singing this song, which you will find in Mr. D'Urfey's _Pills to Purge Melancholy_. _In the merry month of May, On a morn by break of day, Forth I walked the wood so wide, When as May was in her Pride Here I spy'd all alone, all alone, Phyllida and Coridon._ _Much ado there was God wot, He did love, but she could not, He said his love was to woo, He said none was false to you; He said he had lov'd her long, He said love should take no wrong._ _Coridon would have kissed her then, She said Maids must kiss no men Till they kiss for good and all; Then she bade the shepherds call All the Gods to witness truth, Ne'er was loved so fair a youth._ _Then with many a pretty oath, As Yea and Nay and Faith and Troth, Such as silly shepherds use, When they would not love abuse; Love which had been long deluded Was with kisses sweet concluded._ _And Phyllida with garlands gay Was crowned the Lady May._ The words were poor, as you will allow, and the tune a mere tinkle, but it had the effect of rousing our hero from the half-sleep into which he had fallen. "Sing that song again, will you." "G---- forbid," whispered little Peter Wingfield. "Nay, sir," said Mr. Vernon, "'Tis too long to sing over again, but I'll toast the heroine if that will please your zest." "No, sir," said Charles, "it will not please me at all." The rest of the company began to wake up to the fact that something was happening. "I should have thought," Vernon replied, "that Mr. Lovely would have cordially welcomed such a toast, for we all know his partiality to the name." "Gentlemen," said our hero. Did I not promise you some pretty heroicks a score of pages back? "Gentlemen, I have a tale to tell you."