The table was an arena surrounded by flushed persons with codfishy eyes, and all the diners congratulated themselves on being the most jovial fellows under the moon.

But what about next morning?
At that time your thoroughly jovial fellow who despises saintly milksops is usually a dull, morose, objectionable person who should be put in a field by himself.

Give me the man who is in a calmly genial mood at six in the morning.
That was the case with all our saintly milksops on board the yacht.

At six Blair and Tom were astir; soon afterwards came the ladies and the other men, and the company chatted harmlessly until the merry breakfast hour was over; their palates were pure; their thoughts were gentle, and, although a Cape buffalo may be counted as rather an unobtrusive vocalist in comparison with Mr.Lennard, yet, on the whole, the conversation was profitable, and generally refined.

Tom's roars perhaps gave soft emphasis to the quieter talkers.
In the middle of the bright, sharp morning the whole of our passengers gathered in a clump aft, and desultory chat went on.