Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Tavern Gossip. In all the windows of the Red Lion tavern flickered lights, some burning with a full bright flame, others far spent and dying. Without, the noise of laughter, conversation, and the clinking of glasses, fell on the ear. In the streets all was still, save here and there some weak-headed reveller unconsciously disturbing the peace, and preparing himself for a night of inglorious confinement. The captain entered. Mistress Bean bustled into the hall. She was a short, firm-visaged personage, her jetty locks escaping from a full English cap, her gown of red stufi tucked up at both sides over a black petticoat. Her cheeks were apple-red, plump and round, her eyes black and restless. Why, captain, she exclaimed, I’m master glad to see you; why didn’t ye come before ?

Business, Mistress Bean, business! Well, I hope you are prospering.
Yes, middling: ?more since the governor’s come, said Mistress Bean, setting her arms akimbo, while the muslin-like ribbons of ruddiest cherry gave a brighter color to her face. La! you should have seen the sights this afternoon; training ain’t nothing to it, I do assure you. It was a master- fine show. The procession went a'most to Flounder-lane, with sights of soldiers and music and shouting. I just got the least bit of a glimpse of the governor, and I assure you he looked as big and stately as King James himself. Come, captain, do go into tbn parlor and take somethin’, won’t ye ? There’s a good fire there. Mistress Bean panted and puffed; she was almost out of breath.
No, thank you, mistress, replied the young shipmaster;
I’ll step in the keeping-room. As he entered, his fine, dark eyes roved from side to side, as if in search of some missing face, even while he received the congratulations of those wh…