At the beginning of dessert the seigneur, accompanied by the ladies, visited the second and third tables, where they were rapturously received. A friendly word was on his lips for every one. He drank the health of his tenants, and his tenants drank to himself and his family, to the accompaniment of the reports of twenty muskets, which were blazing away outside.
This ceremony at an end, the seigneur returned to his own table, where he was induced to sing a little song, in the chorus of which all joined.
"Oh, here's to the hero,
The hero, the hero;
Oh, here's to the hero
That taught men to dine!
When joy is at zero,
At zero, at zero;
When joy is at zero,
What solace like wine!
Chorus. Till he's drunk, or quite near it,
No soldier will shrink,
But cry shame on the spirit
Too craven to drink.
"When we taste the rare liquor,
Rare liquor, rare liquor;
When we taste the rare liquor
That tickles our throats,
Our hearts they beat quicker,
Beat quicker, beat quicker;
Our hearts they beat quicker,
Which clearly denotes
Chorus. That till drunk, or quite near it,
No soldier should shrink,
But cry shame on the spirit
Too craven to drink."
Scarcely was this song ended when the sonorous voice of Uncle Raoul arose:
"Oh, I am a drinker, I,
For I'm built that way;
Let every man stick to his taste,
Each dog have his day!
The drinker he frights dull care
To flight with a song—
He serves the jolliest god,
And he serves him long!
Chorus. Oh, I am a drinker, I, etc.
"Let José go fighting and put
The Dutchman to rout,
But I'll win my laurels at home
In the drinking-bout!