CHAPTER VII.
LOW AND HIGH TABLES.
"This," said Brother Copas sweetly, turning over his portion of roast duck and searching for some flesh on it, "is not a duck at all, but a pelican, bird of wrath.

See, it has devoured its own breast." Beside the dais, at the eastern end of the Hundred Men's Hall, an ancient staircase leads to an upper chamber of which we shall presently speak; and on the newel-post of this staircase stands one of the curiosities of St.Hospital--a pelican carved in oak, vulning its breast to feed its young.

Brother Copas, lifting a pensive eye from his plate, rested it on this bird, as though comparing notes.
"The plague take your double meanings!" answered Brother Warboise gruffly.

"Not that I understand 'em, or want to.

'Tis enough, I suppose, that the Master preached about it this morning, and called it the bird of love, to set you miscalling it." "Not a bit," Brother Copas replied.