“Eh, Tom! a good night, my lad? How soundly you sleep! Just like the Lachigong Indians; they go to bed after the hunting season, and never wake till the bears come in next fall. I had the knack myself once; but then I always took six or seven dozen of strong Burton ale first; and that, they said, was n't quite fair. But for a white man, I 'd back myself for a thousand to-morrow. But what 's this I have to tell you? Something or other was in my head for you. Oh, I have it! I say, Tom, old fellow, I think I have touched them up to some purpose. They did n't expect it. No, hang it! they little knew what was in store for them; they weren't quite prepared for it. By Jove, that they were n't!”
“Who are they?” said I, sitting up in my bed, and somewhat curious to hear something of these astonished individuals.
“The Government, my lad; the Castle; the Private Sec.; the Major; the Treasury; the Board of Green Cloth; the—what d' ye call them?—the Privy Council.”
“Why, what has happened them?”
“I 'll show you what 's happened. Lie down again and compose yourself. He won't be here before twelve o'clock; though, by the bye, I promised on my honor not to say a word about his coming. But it 's over now.”
“Who is it?” said I, eagerly.
“Oh, I can't tell now. You 'll see him very soon; and right glad he 'll be to see you, so he says. But here they are; here 's the whole affair.”
So saying, he covered the bed with a mass of news' papers, and blotted, ill-written manuscripts, among which he commenced a vigorous search at once.
“Here it is; I've found it out. Listen to this: 'The Press, Friday, August 10. The magnificent ourang-outang that Captain Bubbleton is about to present to the Lady-Lieutenant—' No, that is n't it; it must be in Faulkner. Ay, here we have it: 'In Captain Bubbleton's forthcoming volume, which we have been favored with a private perusal of, a very singular account is given of the gigantic mouse found in Candia, which grows to the size of a common mastiff—'No, that 's not it. You 've heard of that, Tom, though, have n't you?”
“Never,” said I, trying to repress a smile.