"Faith, I'd rather undertake to write one with a whale in my belly! I feel room for a whale there. Who the devil comes here?"
It was none other than Master Maylands, and following him were Clarington, Dauncey, and Hawes, the four being attended by a footman and a page. These gallants, in coming down the aisle, had espied the captain before he had seen them. They had stopped and held a brief colloquy.
"Pish! who's afeard?" Maylands had said. "He won't fight in the church."
"And if he will," said Clarington, "we can 'scape in the crowd."
"Hang him, hedgehog!" said Dauncey. "I think the spirit has gone out of him, by his looks."
"It makes me boil," said Hawes, "to see the dog dressed out like a gentleman in clothes of our giving."
The gallants advanced, therefore, looking as supercilious and impudent as they could.
"God save you, dog of war!" said Maylands.
"God lose you, pup of peace!" replied the captain.