I had come to his door no better than a beggar and little more than a child ; he had met me with treachery and violence ; it would be a fine consummation to take the upper hand , and drive him like a herd of sheep . I sat there nursing my knee and smiling at the fire ; and I saw myself in fancy smell out his secrets one after another , and grow to be that man 's king and ruler . The warlock of Essendean , they say , had made a mirror in which men could read the future ; it must have been of other stuff than burning coal ; for in all the shapes and pictures that I sat and gazed at , there was never a ship , never a seaman with a hairy cap , never a big bludgeon for my silly head , or the least sign of all those tribulations that were ripe to fall on me . Presently , all swollen with conceit , I went up-stairs and gave my prisoner his liberty . He gave me good-morning civilly ; and I gave the same to him , smiling down upon him , from the heights of my sufficiency . Soon we were set to breakfast , as it might have been the day before . `` Well , sir , '' said I , with a jeering tone , `` have you nothing more to say to me ? '' And then , as he made no articulate reply , `` It will be time , I think , to understand each other , '' I continued . `` You took me for a country Johnnie Raw , with no more mother-wit or courage than a porridge-stick . I took you for a good man , or no worse than others at the least . It seems we were both wrong . What cause you have to fear me , to cheat me , and to attempt my life -- '' He murmured something about a jest , and that he liked a bit of fun ; and then , seeing me smile , changed his tone , and assured me he would make all clear as soon as we had breakfasted . I saw by his face that he had no lie ready for me , though he was hard at work preparing one ; and I think I was about to tell him so , when we were interrupted by a knocking at the door . Bidding my uncle sit where he was , I went to open it , and found on the doorstep a half-grown boy in sea-clothes . He had no sooner seen me than he began to dance some steps of the sea-hornpipe -LRB- which I had never before heard of far less seen -RRB- , snapping his fingers in the air and footing it right cleverly . For all that , he was blue with the cold ; and there was something in his face , a look between tears and laughter , that was highly pathetic and consisted ill with this gaiety of manner . `` What cheer , mate ? '' says he , with a cracked voice . I asked him soberly to name his pleasure . `` O , pleasure ! ''
XXXXX he ; and then began to sing : `` For it 's my delight , of a shiny night , In the season of the year . ''
articulate cheat cheer continued gazed interrupted name sat says understand