(Omnes Chorus the burthen of the Song—dancing grotesquely).
Omnes. Ha! ha! ha! (Billy heard without). Eh! stand aside—here comes Billy Waters.
Enter BILLY WATERS, dancing.
Billy. Ah; how do you do, my darley? How you do, Massa Jenkins?—I drink with you. (Drinks deep: Jenkins takes the pot away).—And you Massa Jack, I drink wid you, too. (To Creeping Jack).—Your helt,—your good helt, ladies! (Jack takes pot away).
Jack. I say, Billy, you’re biting your name in it.
Billy. Yes, me likes to bite my name in such goot stuff as that.
Mr. J. Gemman, let’s purceed to business—I’ve got to inform you o’ summat.
Jack. Vat’s that ’ere?
Mr. J. Vy, that ’ere, is this ’ere—I begs to obsarve that the time is come when you may all consider yourselves independent gemmen; for if business should fail, you can at any time retire on a pension now.
Jack. As how?