FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132  
133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   >>   >|  
NEIGH. It was rather late on the following morning when I awoke. At first I was almost unconscious of what had occurred on the preceding day; recollection, however, by degrees returned, and I felt a deep melancholy coming over me, but perfectly aware that no advantage could be derived from the indulgence of such a feeling, I sprang up, prepared my breakfast, which I ate with a tolerable appetite, and then left the dingle, and betook myself to the gypsy encampment, where I entered into discourse with various Romanies, both male and female. After some time, feeling myself in better spirits, I determined to pay another visit to the landlord of the public-house. From the position of his affairs when I had last visited him, I entertained rather gloomy ideas with respect to his present circumstances. I imagined that I should either find him alone in his kitchen smoking a wretched pipe, or in company with some surly bailiff or his follower, whom his friend the brewer had sent into the house in order to take possession of his effects. Nothing more entirely differing from either of these anticipations could have presented itself to my view than what I saw about one o'clock in the afternoon, when I entered the house. I had come, though somewhat in want of consolation myself, to offer any consolation which was at my command to my acquaintance Catchpole, and perhaps like many other people who go to a house with "drops of compassion trembling on their eyelids," I felt rather disappointed at finding that no compassion was necessary. The house was thronged with company, the cries for ale and porter, hot brandy and water, cold gin and water, were numerous; moreover, no desire to receive and not to pay for the landlord's liquids was manifested--on the contrary, everybody seemed disposed to play the most honourable part: "Landlord, here's the money for this glass of brandy and water--do me the favour to take it; all right, remember I have paid you." "Landlord, here's the money for the pint of half-and-half--fourpence halfpenny, a'n't it?--here's sixpence; keep the change--confound the change!" The landlord, assisted by his niece, bustled about; his brow erect, his cheeks plumped out, and all his features exhibiting a kind of surly satisfaction. Wherever he moved, marks of the most cordial amity were shown him, hands were thrust out to grasp his, nor were looks of respect, admiration, nay almost of adoration, wanting. I obser
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132  
133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

landlord

 

consolation

 

entered

 

brandy

 

respect

 

change

 

company

 

Landlord

 
compassion
 

feeling


porter
 

thronged

 

thrust

 
numerous
 

admiration

 
disappointed
 
wanting
 

Catchpole

 

acquaintance

 

command


people

 

trembling

 
eyelids
 

desire

 
adoration
 

finding

 

remember

 

cheeks

 
favour
 

plumped


sixpence

 

assisted

 

bustled

 

fourpence

 

halfpenny

 

contrary

 

manifested

 

liquids

 
cordial
 
confound

disposed

 

exhibiting

 

features

 

satisfaction

 

Wherever

 

honourable

 

receive

 

possession

 

tolerable

 

appetite