H. C. Bailey

“ My good friend, Gaspar, I can twist Ferdinando Alvarez de Toledo round my finger like that girl's curls——"
"Ho, ho, very fine!" laughed Gaspar. Vermeil turned on him.
"You think yourself very clever—better man than I, and the rest of it. I tell you it was only the devil's own luck brought you back alive out of the trap we laid!"
"Trap—what trap?" grunted Gaspar. "Give me the wine!" Vermeil filled his own goblet and passed the bottle. ”

“ Mighty fine it is nowadays, with its front built all of stone, and its rooms lofty and light; but to me and Gaspar—will you laugh if I say to Gabrielle too?—to us the Yellow Pig is timber and brick, with a low dark little room up a steep flight of stairs for its chief guest-chamber.
"Ah, sir, your valour has received my humble letter?"
"Never mind your humble letter, I want your Rhenish wine," quoth Gaspar.
"You shall have it, most noble, you shall have it ere the words are a minute old. At great risk and mighty cost it has been brought through the Spaniards' army. ”

“ I told him the man was a fool. But Vitelli was too anxious about him to believe that. What does he think now?"
"He thinks John Newstead is a good soldier," said the messenger.
"Oh, does he?" cried Vermeil, with an angry laugh. "And what do you think yourself, my friend?"
"I think so, too," said the messenger slowly. Just then the sunlight broke in at the window, and the messenger stepped aside.
"Oh, you do, too. Well, I tell you you are both wrong. He is the veriest fool that ever led a free company, and would be the biggest knave too if he had the brains." ”

“ Gaspar filled a cup:
"There, drink that, and say if it isn't the divinest liquor ever laid the dust in your gullet."
"Ah!—yes, it's good!" quoth Vermeil.
"Good? Don't insult it with a word like that Try again: there! Good, eh? It's divine, it's spiritual, it's inspiration, it's all the blessings in one, it's battle and sword-play and sudden death, it's Rhenish! And fair's fair; come, I'll have a goblet now! Sit down to it, man! Drink away and I'll sing you a song!"
And waving the goblet round his head Gaspar began to roar out a German catch:
"Up with the goblet and down with the wine ”

“ Another moment, and Vermeil rushed at him again, mad with rage, and Gaspar coolly put his thrusts by on this side and that, till he drew back again foiled. Again and again he dashed at the doorway, and again and again Gaspar pushed him back.
"Ach! who is the better man?" grunted Gaspar, and now he attacked in his turn, and drove Vermeil backwards round and round the room.
"Who is the better man?" he asked again, and Vermeil flashed hate at him from bloodshot eyes.
"Shall I call a guard, your honour?" cried the innkeeper from the doorway. ”

“ There is enough, most valiant, oh, enough to drown you—gallons—hogsheads—oceans. Never has the Yellow Pig run dry save in that distressing siege. O most illustrious, it played the devil with the busi- ness. ”