champagne, and owing Rigby several years of contradiction, followed up the
assault. Lord Monmouth, who liked a butt, and had a weakness for
boisterous gaiety, slily encouraged the boys, till Rigby began to lose his
temper and get noisy.

The lads had the best of it; they said a great many funny things, and
delivered themselves of several sharp retorts; whereas there was something
ridiculous in Rigby putting forth his 'slashing' talents against such
younkers. However, he brought the infliction on himself by his strange
habit of deciding on subjects of which he knew nothing, and of always
contradicting persons on the very subjects of which they were necessarily
masters.

To see Rigby baited was more amusement to Lord Monmouth even than Montem.
Lucian Gay, however, when the affair was getting troublesome, came forward
as a diversion. He sang an extemporaneous song on the ceremony of the day,
and introduced the names of all the guests at the dinner, and of a great
many other persons besides. This was capital! The boys were in raptures,
but when the singer threw forth a verse about Dr. Keate, the applause
became uproarious.

'Good-bye, my dear Harry,' said Lord Monmouth, when he bade his grandson
farewell. 'I am going abroad again; I cannot remain in this Radical-ridden
country. Remember, though I am away, Monmouth House is your home, at least
so long as it belongs to me. I understand my tailor has turned Liberal,
and is going to stand for one of the metropolitan districts, a friend of
Lord Durham; perhaps I shall find him in it when I return. I fear there
are evil days for the NEW GENERATION!'

END OF BOOK I.