ved one fellow, as
the landlord advanced, take the pipe out of his mouth, and gaze upon him
with a kind of grin of wonder, probably much the same as his ancestor,
the Saxon lout of old, put on when he saw his idol Thur dressed in a new
kirtle. To avoid the press, I got into a corner, where, on a couple of
chairs, sat two respectable-looking individuals, whether farmers or sow-
gelders, I know not, but highly respectable-looking, who were discoursing
about the landlord. "Such another," said one, "you will not find in a
summer's day." "No, nor in the whole of England," said the other. "Tom
of Hopton," said the first: "ah! Tom of Hopton," echoed the other; "the
man who could beat Tom of Hopton could beat the world." "I glory in
him," said the first. "So do I," said the second; "I'll back him against
the world. Let me hear any one say anything against him, and if I don't
. . ." then, looking at me, he added, "have you anything to say against
him, young man?" "Not a word," said I, "save that he regularly puts me
out." "He'll put any one out," said the man, "any one out of conceit
with himself;" then, lifting a mug to his mouth, he added, with a
hiccough, "I drink his health." Presently the landlord, as he moved
about, observing me, stopped short: "Ah!" said he, "are you here? I am
glad to see you, come this way." "Stand back," said he to his company,
as I followed him to the bar, "stand back for me and his gentleman." Two
or three young fellows were in the bar, seemingly sporting yokels,
drinking sherry and smoking. "Come, gentlemen," said the landlord,
"clear the bar, I must have a clear bar for me and my friend here."
"Landlord, what will you take," said one, "a glass of sherry? I know you
like it." ". . . sherry and you too," said the landlord, "I want neither
sherry nor yourself; didn't you hear what I told you?" "All right, old
fellow," said the other, shaking the landlord by the hand, "all right,
don't wish to intrude--but I suppose when you and your friend have done,
I may come in again;" then, with "a sarvant, sir," to me, he took himself
into the kitchen, followed by the rest of the sporting yokels.

Thereupon the landlord, taking a bottle of ale from a basket, uncorked
it, and pouring the contents into two large glasses, handed me one, and
motioning me to sit down, placed himself by me; then, emptying his own
glass at a draught, he gave a kind of grunt of satisfaction, and fixing
his eyes upon the o