Here is the heat, the fire, the effervescence, blended with the generosity and open-heartedness, so much boasted of by the sons of Erin, and so much eulogized by travellers who have visited the Emerald Isle." And slipping a sovereign into his hand, after the execution of a bond to prosecute the offenders, each of them taking an arm of Sparkle, they passed down Bow-street, conversing on the occurrences in which they had been engaged, of which the extraordinary appearance of Sparkle was the most prominent and interesting.
"How in the name of wonder came you in such a scrape ?" said Tom.
"Innocently enough, I can assure you," replied Sparkle--"with my usual luck--a bit of gig, a lark, and a turn up.{2} "...

'Twas waxing rather late, And reeling bucks the street began to scour, While guardian watchmen, with a tottering gait, Cried every thing quite clear, except the hour." 1 Horse's night-cap--A halter.
2 A bit of gig--a lark--a turn up--are terms made use of to signify a bit of fun of any kind, though the latter more generally means a fight.

Among the bucks and bloods of the Metropolis, a bit of fun or a lark, as they term it, ending in a milling match, a night's lodging in the watch-house, and a composition with the Charleys in the morning, to avoid exposure before the Magistrate, is a proof of high spirit--a prime delight, and serves in many cases to stamp a man's character.

Some, however, who have not courage enough to brave a street-row and its consequences, are fond of fun of other kinds, heedless of the consequences to others.

"Go it, my boys," says one of the latter description, "keep it up, huzza! I loves fun--for I made such a fool of my father last April day:--but what do you think I did now, eh ?--Ha! ha! ha!--I will tell you what makes me laugh so: we were keeping it up in prime twig, faith, so about four o'clock in the morning 1 went down into the kitchen, and there was Dick the waiter snoring like a pig before a blazing fire--done up, for the fellow can't keep it up as we jolly boys do: So thinks 1, I'll have you, my boy--and what does I do, but I goes softly and takes the tongs, and gets a red hot coal as big as my head, and plumpt it upon the fellow's foot and run away, because I loves fun, you know: So it has lamed him, and that makes me laugh so--Ha! ha! ha!--it was what I call better than your _rappartees_ and your _bobinates_.