ver, threw open the door of the apartment, and commanded me
to follow him. I felt some inclination, when I crossed the threshold of
my prison-chamber, to have turned and run for it; but I knew not where
to find the stairs--had reason to think the outer doors would be secured
and, to conclude, so soon as I had quitted the room to follow the proud
step of my conductor, I observed that I was dogged by Cristal Nixon, who
suddenly appeared within two paces of me, and with whose great personal
strength, independent of the assistance he might have received from
his master, I saw no chance of contending. I therefore followed,
unresistingly and in silence; along one or two passages of much greater
length than consisted with the ideas I had previously entertained of
the size of the house. At length a door was flung open, and we entered
a large, old-fashioned parlour, having coloured glass in the windows,
oaken panelling on the wall, a huge grate, in which a large faggot
or two smoked under an arched chimney-piece of stone which bore some
armorial device, whilst the walls were adorned with the usual number
of heroes in armour, with large wigs instead of helmets, and ladies in
sacques, smelling to nosegays.

Behind a long table, on which were several books, sat a smart
underbred-looking man, wearing his own hair tied in a club, and who,
from the quire of paper laid before him, and the pen which he handled
at my entrance, seemed prepared to officiate as clerk. As I wish to
describe these persons as accurately as possible, I may add, he wore a
dark-coloured coat, corduroy breeches, and spatterdashes. At the
upper end of the same table, in an ample easy-chair covered with black
leather, reposed a fat personage, about fifty years old, who either was
actually a country justice, or was well selected to represent such a
character. His leathern breeches were faultless in make, his jockey
boots spotless in the varnish, and a handsome and flourishing pair of
boot-garters, as they are called, united the one part of his garments to
the other; in fine, a richly-laced scarlet waistcoat and a purple coat
set off the neat though corpulent figure of the little man, and threw an
additional bloom upon his plethoric aspect. I suppose he had dined,
for it was two hours past noon, and he was amusing himself, and aiding
digestion, with a pipe of tobacco. There was an air of importance in his
manner which corresponded to the rural dignity of his exterior,