this opinion, and expressed it in a concentrated glower. Evins had opinions of his own; I saw that from the way his mouth straightened — quite as it did that morning off Staple Inn. "Are we in the way, Evins?"I asked. "No, sir, we ain't; and if we was it wouldn't make no difference. Them stuffs in gold lace think they own the earth." W CHAPTER XI COVENT GARDEN HEN describing some highly convivial scene, Thackeray generally places his characters in one of the quaint chophouses and taverns of old London, rather than around the mahogany tables of the more famous clubs. The Cave of Harmony, fronting Covent Garden Market - he knew in his youth. There to quote from "The Newcomes, song and cup" passed merrily, and I daresay the songs and bumpers were encored. 99 66 We have his own words as proof that the tap room was near Covent Garden, for in "A Night's Pleasure" there occurs these words: "What! is the old Cave of Harmony still extant?' I asked. 'I have not been there these twenty years.' "And memory carried me back to the days when Lightsides, of Corpus, myself, and little Oaks, the Johnian, came up to town in a chaise-and-four, at the long vacation at the end of our freshman's year, ordered turtle and venison for dinner at the Bedford, blubbered over 'Black-eyed Susan' at the play, and then finished the evening at that very Harmonic Cave, where the famous English Improvisatore sang with such prodigious talent that we asked him to stay with us in the country. "And so the Cave of Harmony is open,' I said, looking at little Grigg with a sad and tender interest, and feeling that I was about a hundred years old. 66 ""I believe you my baw-aw-oy!' said he, adopting the tone of an exceedingly refined and popular actor, whose choral and comic powers render him a general favourite. "Does Bivins keep it?' I asked, in a voice of profound melancholy. "Hoh! What a flat you are! You might as well ask if Mrs. Siddons acted Lady Macbeth to-night, and if Queen Anne's dead or not. I tell you what, Spec, my boyyou're getting a regular old flat- fogy, sir, a positive old fogy. How the deuce do you pretend to be a man about town, and not know that Bivins has left the Cavern? Law bless you! Come in and see: I know the landlord -I'll introduce you to him.' "This was an offer which no man could resist; and so Grigg and I went through the Piazza, and down the steps of that well-remembered place of conviviality. "The room was full of young, rakish-looking lads, with a dubious sprinkling of us middle-aged youth, and stalwart, red-faced fellows from the country, with whiskey noggins before them, and bent upon seeing life.". "He said he would have a sixth glass if we would stop: but we didn't; and he took his sixth glass without us. My melancholy young friend had begun another comic song, |