It was in his mind to repeat over the exorcism proper to such attacks; but the two burst out a-laughing at his scared face, and turning on to their heads once more, clapped their heels in derision.
"Hast never seen tumblers before ?" asked the elder, a black-browed, swarthy man, as brown and supple as a hazel twig.

"Why shrink from us, then, as though we were the spawn of the Evil One ?" "Why shrink, my honey-bird?
Why so afeard, my sweet cinnamon ?" exclaimed the other, a loose-jointed lanky youth with a dancing, roguish eye.
"Truly, sirs, it is a new sight to me," the clerk answered.

"When I saw your four legs above the bush I could scarce credit my own eyes.

Why is it that you do this thing ?" "A dry question to answer," cried the younger, coming back on to his feet.

"A most husky question, my fair bird! But how?
A flask, a flask!--by all that is wonderful!" He shot out his hand as he spoke, and plucking Alleyne's bottle out of his scrip, he deftly knocked the neck off, and poured the half of it down his throat.