at evening. Oh, I wish you had seen my customers; those who
did not belong to the clan, but who had taken part with them, and helped
to jeer and flout me, now came and shook me by the hand, wishing me joy,
and saying as, how 'I was a brave fellow, and had served the bully
right!' As for the clan, they all said Hunter was bound to do me
justice; so they made him pay me what he owed for himself, and the
reckoning of those among them who said they had no money. Two or three
of them then led him away, while the rest stayed behind, and flattered
me, and worshipped me, and called Hunter all kinds of dogs' names. What
do you think of that?"

"Why," said I, "it makes good what I read in a letter which I received
yesterday. It is just the way of the world."

"A'n't it," said the landlord. "Well, that a'n't all; let me go on. Good
fortune never yet came alone. In about an hour comes home my poor niece,
almost in high sterricks with joy, smiling and sobbing. She had been to
the clergyman of M---, the great preacher, to whose church she was in the
habit of going, and to whose daughters she was well known; and to him she
told a lamentable tale about my distresses, and about the snares which
had been laid for my soul; and so well did she plead my cause, and so
strong did the young ladies back all she said, that the good clergyman
promised to stand my friend, and to lend me sufficient money to satisfy
the brewer, and to get my soul out of the snares of the man in black; and
sure enough the next morning the two young ladies brought me the fifty
pounds, which I forthwith carried to the brewer, who was monstrously
civil, saying that he hoped any little misunderstanding we had had would
not prevent our being good friends in future. That a'n't all; the people
of the neighbouring county hearing as if by art witchcraft that I had
licked Hunter, and was on good terms with the brewer, forthwith began to
come in crowds to look at me, pay me homage, and be my customers.
Moreover, fifty scoundrels who owed me money, and would have seen me
starve rather than help me as long as they considered me a down pin,
remembered their debts, and came and paid me more than they owed. That
a'n't all; the brewer being about to establish a stage-coach and three,
to run across the country, says it shall stop and change horses at my
house, and the passengers breakfast and sup as it goes and returns. He
wishes me--whom he calls the best man in England--