elders were searching for titbits, and sniffing and grunting over their
plates like sows nuzzling for acorns. Three drinks seemed to be sacred
to the company--port, sherry, and rum; outside which old-established
trinity few or no palates ranged.

A row of ancient rummers with ground figures on their sides, and each
primed with a spoon, was now placed down the table, and these were
promptly filled with grog at such high temperatures as to raise
serious considerations for the articles exposed to its vapours. But
Elizabeth-Jane noticed that, though this filling went on with great
promptness up and down the table, nobody filled the Mayor's glass, who
still drank large quantities of water from the tumbler behind the clump
of crystal vessels intended for wine and spirits.

"They don't fill Mr. Henchard's wine-glasses," she ventured to say to
her elbow acquaintance, the old man.

"Ah, no; don't ye know him to be the celebrated abstaining worthy of
that name? He scorns all tempting liquors; never touches nothing. O
yes, he've strong qualities that way. I have heard tell that he sware
a gospel oath in bygone times, and has bode by it ever since. So they
don't press him, knowing it would be unbecoming in the face of that: for
yer gospel oath is a serious thing."

Another elderly man, hearing this discourse, now joined in by inquiring,
"How much longer have he got to suffer from it, Solomon Longways?"

"Another two year, they say. I don't know the why and the wherefore of
his fixing such a time, for 'a never has told anybody. But 'tis exactly
two calendar years longer, they say. A powerful mind to hold out so