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'Dubsix! said the Home Doggerel. 'Menin! said the Foreign Doggerel. 'Atub! said the First Lord of the Seesaw. 'Gyp is my nickname, remarked the Prime Maniac, 'because the verse had not feet enough to go all round. Did you ever hear anything like this before? 'I fancied at one moment that I had; but now I don't know, Yellow-cap answered.
At this moment they all arose and solemnly emptied their tankards; then they piled the tankards together in the centre of the table; and Dubsix and Atub, taking each an arm of Yellow-cap, raised him from the floor and seated him upon the pile as upon a throne. The six Brethren now joined hands and began to dance round and round the table, puffing volumes of smoke from their pipes as they went.
'We've got fifty paid claqueurs I know that, said Atub. 'And we have suspended the rule about full-dress in the stalls, added Dubsix. 'Ah! exclaimed Menin, nodding his head and crossing his feet on the table in republican style, 'there is a great deal in that. 'How are you going to depose him? Yellow-cap asked.
'I second that motion, said Dubsix. 'We mustn't put our feet into our business, remarked Menin in an explanatory way. 'The only rule we never suspend is the rule that no rule shall not sometimes be suspended, added Atub. 'So be it, said Gyp agreeably. 'The metrical system is hereby suspended for the rest of the evening. Have another tankard of ale, Brother Yellow-cap?
'You don't know him? spoke the voice of Ruba. 'He knows you, said Dubb. 'He is an old friend of yours, remarked Dubsix. 'And a very dear one, added Menin. 'And a very false one, observed Atub. 'What does it all mean? inquired Yellow-cap. 'If you will give yourself the trouble to lay your left finger beside your nose it might inform you, said Gyp courteously.
'The likeness is good, pronounced Dubsix. 'Flattering, affirmed Menin. 'I can think of nothing to say, confessed Atub. 'Come and look in our mirror, said Gyp, taking Yellow-cap by the arm and leading him to the end of the room. Now, against the wall at this end hung a very odd specimen of a looking-glass.
'And your reputation! bawled Atub. 'It is against the first law of the Brotherhood, added Ruba. 'We all have headaches, asserted Dubb. 'We couldn't live without them, declared Dubsix. 'Would you commit suicide? demanded Menin. 'Be guilty of treason? hiccoughed Atub, who had swallowed some smoke the wrong way. 'Good gracious! was all that poor Yellow-cap was able to reply.
'There is only one inconvenience about it, observed Ruba. 'We must always speak in order, added Dubb. 'On pain of spoiling our metre, put in Dubsix. 'And our rhyme, continued Menin. 'Except Gyp, added Atub, 'who can talk when he likes, and that is his chief advantage. 'It is an advantage in more ways than one, Gyp remarked.
'We come! said all the Brethren together, They rose up, put their play-books in their pockets, and joining hands so as to form a circle, with Gyp and Yellow-cap in the middle of it, they rapidly repeated five times over the following mystic chant, Gyp beating time for them with the forefinger of his right hand on the five fingers of his left: Ruba Dubb Dubsix Menin Atub Chorus Gyp!
'It is the court-dress of conspirators, added Dubb. 'We are clothed in the unwritten pages of history, continued Dubsix. 'We shall be red hereafter, said Menin, archly. 'Because we rose against the tyrant, concluded Atub, with a sigh. 'They are apt to be rather stupid at this hour in the morning, remarked Gyp, turning to Yellow-cap, 'but they will get warmed to it presently.
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