The ferryman did not fail to impress on all present that he had himself been the most intimate friend of Captain Job, associated with him throughout their lives, that they had lived as brothers, and that he had been constituted orally by the departed the guardian of Jack, and, added Dench, 'Please God I will do my duty by the lad, for ever and ever. Amen.' Then, as his cheeks grew redder, and his face more glossy, he moralised with greater unction. It behoved them all to take lesson, and so to order their lives as to be able to die as happy as had the captain. It would be well were their hearts in the right place, as was his. That was the great secret. All were doomed to fade as the lilies and to wither as the grass. Let them, therefore, lay up treasure for their children to enjoy, and comrades to be left behind to lament them. Then he diverged into more or less open allusion to Jane Marley. He named no names, and he said nothing, but he felt all the deeper that it was a sad thing for a man when ill and dying to be in the hands of hirelings, who had no interest beyond grabbing what lay strewn about, and whose solicitude was wholly for themselves and not with the patient. But these insinuations were made only when not liable to be overheard by Jane or Mrs. Jose. As his face glowed like a November setting sun, and assumed a gloss like young holly leaves, he became noisy, talking louder, excessive in his officiousness, demonstrative in his grief, and effusive in his piety. 'I think,' said he very boisterously, 'that we'll lift up our voices and sing John Wesley's favourite hymn, "For he's a jolly good fellow."' Mrs. Jose hastily interfered. 'Well, ma'am, we'll take it slow time, like a hymn.' As this did not meet with approval, 'Then some one start any hymn as is suitable――I ain't very familiar with psalm-tunes.' The influx of mourners was incessant, for no sooner had one set been refreshed than another battled its way in at the door to be regaled as well, and the first set, which had departed by the back door, made the circuit of the house, and appeared again at the front, fresh for new consolation. The saffron cake and the cold beef were in request, but not to the same extent as the spirits. As each ate and drank he heaved a sigh, and said, 'Ah, well! Us shan't see the likes of he again,' or, 'He died beautiful――'appy as a hangel,' or some similar commonplace. It was part of the etiquette to heave a sigh and utter a moan, and make a pious observation. At length the rapidly declining day put a term to the entertainment, and caused a diminution in the concourse of applicants for cake and liquor. When the last had departed, Dench cast himself into the arm chair and said, 'Darned if I ain't pretty nigh done up. Now it is my turn to touch a drop.'